Life's Little Surprises
by LadyWallace
Summary: Dean and Sam get the surprise of their lives when they find themselves gaining custody of a niece they didn't even know existed. AU Season 1 (Co-written with AnastaziaDanielle) *Story is complete, additional one-shots are being added!*
1. Prologue

**Hi Everyone! This is a new fic that I have been co-authoring with AnastaziaDanielle. She's new to the Supernatural fandom so give her a welcome! She asked me to write this fic with her to get used to the Supernatural setting. This is a Season 1 AU; Sam and Dean have a sister (and a niece!) and you'll just have to read on to see what else happens. We'll be writing alternating chapters. I'll be posting the next chapter later this weekend. For now, I hope you enjoy the prologue and have a Happy Halloween and don't forget the salt! :P**

**Disclaimer: We do not own Supernatural. Addy Grace and Melissa, however, do belong to us. Please do not use them without our permission. Thanks! -LadyWallace and AnastaziaDanielle**

**This chapter was written by: LadyWallace**

Prologue

Denver, Colorado 2005

Melissa felt like she was being watched.

She was always a bit paranoid, after all, it was only to be expected, after being kidnapped at a young age and taken far from her family before ending up in the foster system, not knowing where or who her real family was anymore. But this was different, she honestly felt a threat, some inner instinct that she had always had told her that something was deeply wrong. Shadowy figures popping up over and over, a car behind her. Perhaps the research she had been doing had been a mistake.

Over the past few months, she had been trying to locate her family. Not only for herself, but for Addy. Being a single mom was hard, and she could use the support and wanted her four-year-old daughter to be able to grow up around more people than just herself. So she had started looking. When she wasn't working or looking after Addy, she was checking birth records, death records, anything she could find that might lead her to her family. And she had finally, at long last, found them.

She had very vague memories of her parents, happy ones, and she felt that they wouldn't have simply given up on her if there had been any hope. Perhaps they were still looking for her. Or her father, at least. She had learned only recently that her mother had died in a house fire twenty-two years before. But her father was still alive, and she had two brothers as well. More than she could ever have hoped for! Now Addy would have a grandfather and two uncles to provide a male influence to her life since her father wasn't around.

But contacting her father had proven difficult. She had tried several numbers she'd found and got nothing. There were no addresses listed except the one in Lawrence, Kansas that she thought might have been the house she had grown up in for those few years she had been with her family. But she had gotten a call while at work that day from one of the people she had contacted for information who came back with a new number, and she was going to try it tonight to see if there was any more luck with that.

But right now, she just had to get Addy and go home where she would feel safer. Away from the unseen eyes that she felt were following her home.

She pulled up at the apartment building she rented and hurried inside, several shopping bags slung over one arm. She went to the third floor first, to the neighbor who watched Addy for her while she was at work.

The kindly elderly lady appeared to her knock with Addy clutching her hand and Melissa opened her arms to her smiling daughter as Addy ran to greet her.

"Mommy, I made cookies with Mrs. Jones today!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Chocolate chip!"

"Sounds delicious, sweetie," Melissa said, turning to Mrs. Jones. "Thank you as always."

"Of course, dear," the motherly woman replied fondly. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Yes, they're keeping me on the longer shift. I'm sorry Addy has to stay with you so long, but she'll be in school in another few months."

"Don't you worry about it, dear, it's no trouble. You do what you have to."

Melissa took Addy's hand as they walked down the hall to the elevator to travel up to the next floor to their own apartment. She sat Addy down with her books while she started dinner, all the time thinking about the phone number that might reach her father, and the strange feeling she'd had earlier. As the pasta was cooking for dinner, she sat down at the kitchen table, which was strewn with her research material. On the top was a very battered photo, the only thing she had to tell her where she came from—she didn't even really know how she had come to have it. It was a picture of her mom and dad, her mother proudly holding a round belly—carrying Melissa. She always felt an ache in her chest when she looked at it. So many years of looking at that picture and wondering who they were and finally finding out now at long last.

She took out another page and smiled fondly at the pictures of her two brothers she had found. They weren't any easier to find than her father, but she really wanted to meet them. To think she had two little brothers she had never known about until a week ago…

"Mommy, can you read to me?" Addy asked, pattering into the kitchen with a book held out in front of her.

"After dinner, sweetie, it's almost done," Melissa said, and got up to stir the pasta before draining it and grabbing two plates from the cupboard. Addy sat at the table eagerly and they enjoyed their meal together. Melissa was reluctant to send Addy to school the next year, especially after what had happened to her, but she knew it would be good for her daughter to get out and meet other children. She only had a couple friends in the apartment building she played with sometimes in the park. Melissa thought she was sometimes a little overly protective, but then again, there was that built in protective instinct that came fiercely out of nowhere—culminating in the pistol she always kept under her mattress, another thing that just felt natural.

After dinner, she bathed Addy and put her to bed, before cuddling up with her and reading the books she wanted. Addy was nodding off by the time she had finished and she kissed her gently on the forehead and tucked her in.

Now she needed to get to work again.

She grabbed her cell phone and found the message, writing down the number and then, after taking a deep breath, she punched it in and waited, her heart pounding in anticipation. The phone rang for several long seconds, then with a leap of her heart she heard a voice, one that sounded vaguely familiar, but then with sudden disappointment she realized it was just a recording.

_"This is John Winchester's phone. I'm not able to answer right now, but call my son, Dean; he'll be able to help."_

She was so elated that she had finally found something that she missed the cue to leave a message. She quickly dialed back and listened again, only getting her bearings together to jot down Dean's phone number as well before the beep.

She swallowed hard and then opened her mouth. "Um, Dad? Hi, this is…Melissa…"

She forgot the message as a sound outside the apartment door caught her attention. She quickly clicked the phone to end the call and stood up. It was there again, someone trying to work open the lock. Her first thought was the gun under her pillow, but if she went to her room to get it, it would be too close to Addy, and if someone was coming into the apartment, the last thing she wanted was to draw attention to her daughter. So instead, she grabbed a knife from the rack and gripped it tightly, standing on the other side of the wall from the door so she wouldn't be seen.

She was shaking all over, her nerves jittery, her palms sweating so that she could hardly hold the knife. The doorknob rattled and then she heard it open. She closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing. She took a step further into the shadows, hearing the intruder's footsteps. They hesitated a moment, then turned aside. She breathed a sigh of relief, before she realized what that meant. They were going toward Addy!

Instantly springing into action, she came out from behind the wall and saw the back of the intruder right in front of her, wearing a dark hooded jacket so she could barely see his features. She didn't hesitate, lunging forward as he stiffened seeming to sense something, and stabbed the knife into his back, hardly believing what she was doing.

To her horror, the knife hardly fazed the man at all. He just turned around with a smile forming on his lips.

"Hello, Melissa," he said as she backed away, searching for another weapon. What was going on here? By rights he should be dead or at least in agony.

"How do you know me?" she whispered, groping for a vase that was on the table behind her.

"I know your father," the man said. "I came to give you his love. You see, he took something from me, so I decided to take something from him too." He advanced slowly, but there was no need for speed, because Melissa was trapped against the wall.

"You know my father?" she couldn't help but ask, casting a quick glance to the papers on the table in the next room.

"Oh yes," the man said, a growl in his voice.

"Where is he?"

"Now? He could be anywhere. But when I kill you…well, I hope he'll come to find me. He was looking into you, trying to locate you, and so I decided to take advantage of that."

"Get out of my house," Melissa told him firmly, trying to keep from showing fear. The knife was still sticking from the man's back. Was he wearing body armor?

He chuckled and his mouth widened with a cruel grin. "Oh, and your daughter? She's beautiful; I think I'll take her when I'm done with you. Don't worry; she'll have a good home. A family who will love her."

"You stay away from her!" Melissa shouted, throwing the vase at the man and running into the kitchen again as he was distracted, grabbing her phone to call 911.

She was barely able to send the call before the man grabbed her from behind and tackled her to the floor, with a crash, taking one of the chairs down with them. Melissa cried out in pain, her head cracking on the floor and dazing her for a minute. When her sight cleared, the man was grinning at her again, but his teeth were strange, growing long and fang-like.

"What…?" she gasped but her question was cut off with a scream as he lurched forward and bit into the side of her neck. She thrashed, reaching up and grabbing the knife still in his back, driving it deeper until it showed out his chest. She felt her life draining away, her struggles becoming weaker and then suddenly, a new horror appeared.

"Mommy!"

The thin, confused wail sounded from the doorway, and the man, or whatever it was, drew back and turned to grin at Addy with his bloody mouth. She screamed and ran away, and Melissa tried to sit up, but could hardly move. Blood continued to pour out of her neck and the man turned back to her with a smug expression.

"Now your father and I are equal. He killed my daughter, I'll kill his. And I'll take yours to replace her."

She gurgled, reaching weakly for him, sadness and horror overtaking her even as she fought to stay conscious. He stood and grimaced as he reached around and drew the knife from his back, letting it clatter to the floor.

"Time for me to leave."

Sirens sounded outside. The call must have gone through after all. Melissa felt a bit better. Maybe they would get there in time. The man hissed angrily.

"I'll be back for your daughter. She will become one of us, but you'll hardly care now, because you'll not be around." He then turned and crashed out of the window, clattering down the fire escape.

Melissa heard shouting out in the hallways, but she couldn't care. She knew it was too late for her. Tears leaked from her eyes to join the blood on the ground.

"Mommy," there was frightened sobbing, and she wished she could do something about it, but she couldn't. She couldn't move.

She was already gone by the time the police burst into the room.

* * *

><p><em>Officer Hale had been on the<em> job for too many years in his opinion, but this made him sicker than anything he had seen before, and he had seen a lot in his twenty years on the force.

"What kind of monster would break into a woman's house and kill her in front of her own daughter?" he muttered to himself, trying to fight away the bile as he watched the ME stooping over the body. "Much less like this."

He stepped over a puddle of blood with a crime scene marker on it to look at the papers on the table, wondering if they would give him a clue as to why Melissa Winchester had been murdered.

"What is all that?" his partner, John Wilson asked as the young man stepped over to him, looking just as pale as he felt.

Hale frowned as he shuffled through the papers. "Looks like she was researching her family. What did you find on her?"

"From what we can tell, Melissa Winchester disappeared twenty-eight years ago from Lawrence Kansas at the age of two. I don't know how she wasn't found before, but, it was a cold case that was never solved. She has been presumed dead for years."

Hale looked at the papers again. "Well, it looks like she was trying to locate her family. Shame she never did. Maybe the person who took her in the first place came back for revenge?"

Wilson shrugged. "Too early to hazard a guess, sir. The detectives are on their way. But, sir…what are we going to do about the daughter?"

His voice dropped and Hale turned almost reluctantly to the pitiful little figure standing off to one side with one of his female officers and several neighbors, shocked into silence, covered in blood. He shivered as he recalled the scene they had come upon after entering the room; the little girl just sitting next to her mother's body, shaking her as if trying to wake her up. Sometimes this job was just too much for him.

He looked back down at the papers and saw several phone numbers jotted down on the top of the pile, resting next to a picture of a man and expecting woman.

"I guess we'll try to contact her nearest relations. It looks like Melissa has a father and two younger brothers still living."

Wilson nodded and said he'd make the calls as Hale turned to inform the detectives who had just come in about what had happened.

He cast one more glance at the little girl and decided that this job really was too much for him sometimes.

* * *

><p><strong>Let us know what you thought of this so far! We would really appreciate your reviews :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**Here's the next chapter! I hope everyone is enjoying it so far. Sam and Dean finally get to meet their niece :)**

**This chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle**

Chapter One

Dean Winchester folded his jeans and stuffed them into the top of his duffle bag before zipping it up. The case had been a rough one, and he would be more than happy to leave this dingy motel room and get on the road. The sooner they left this place behind, the better. "Let's go, Sammy!" he called to his younger brother. "I want to get an early start." He didn't want to mention that he had been receiving calls from the Denver police department for the past few days, but they hadn't left any messages. He had no idea why they were trying to contact him, and it made him leary.

Sam hefted his own duffle bag onto his shoulder. "I'm just waiting on you, big brother," he smirked. Sam, too, would be glad to leave the small town of Creede. The hunt had been a rough one, and both he and Dean were nursing aches and pains.

Dean shook his head ruefully and lifted his bag before moving to the door, unlocking it, and tugging it open. The cool mountain air felt good against his face after being in the overly-warm, stuffy motel room. Sam followed him and nearly plowed into his back when Dean stopped in his tracks and swore under his breath.

"What is it?" Sam asked even as he looked over his brother's shoulder. He could see the front end of a police car from where he was standing. An officer was approaching their room with a purposeful stride. It was too late to run. The brothers shared a quick glance. Dean's gaze said, "Let me do the talking."

"Good morning, gentlemen," the officer with curly dark hair and an easy smile greeted them, his breath making a puff of smoke in the cool Colorado air.

"Mornin'," Dean echoed warily. "How can we help you, Officer?"

Sam could feel the tension radiating off of his brother. He gripped the strap of his duffle bag in a sweaty palm and scanned their surroundings carefully, weighing their escape options. An empty lot lay to the left of the hotel dotted with trees and scraggly grass. To the right was a gas station. Across the highway was a sparsely forested meadow. Sam suppressed a sigh and focused on his brother and the officer.

"I'm Officer Turner. I'm looking for Dean and Sam Winchester. I've got some bad news, I'm afraid." The officer's smile fell away and his face darkened with sadness. He looked anxiously between the two men in front of him.

Dean swallowed hard and cast a quick look at his brother, his mind immediately jumping to his father and all of the terrible things that could have happened to him. He could tell Sam's thoughts had traveled in the same direction. "I'm Dean Winchester and this is my brother, Sam," he replied.

"What's wrong, Officer? Is it our Dad?" Sam asked, feeling his stomach twist slightly with nerves.

"We have news of a Melissa Winchester. If I understand correctly, she was your sister."

Dean tensed and felt Sam stiffen beside him. "Our sister Melissa was kidnapped when she was two years old," he explained tersely.

"Apparently, she has been living in Denver and was searching for her family. I am sorry to have to tell you that your sister was killed – murdered. I am so very sorry for your loss." Officer Turner shifted his gaze between the brothers as his brow creased in sorrow.

Sam felt a lump form in his throat. Neither he nor Dean had any memories of their sister; she had been missing since before Dean was born, but he had always held hope that they would find her someday. Now, if this officer was correct, Melissa was lying cold and dead in a morgue in Denver. Sam cast a glance at his brother. He could see the tight set to Dean's jaw and the stiffness in his shoulders. He knew his brother was upset no matter how much Dean tried to hide it.

"Are you certain that this woman was Melissa?" Dean asked sharply as his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. His mind worked furiously as he mulled over the information.

Officer Turner continued speaking as the brothers processed the news of their sister's death. "Apparently, she had been looking for her family. The officers responding to the scene found contact information for your father in her apartment. No one could get in touch with him, but the officers in Denver kept searching until they found out about the two of you. You're really hard to find, and a town like Creede is so small that we wouldn't really expect to find you here," the officer admitted as he scrubbed a hand over his curly dark hair.

"Anyways," the officer continued, "the Denver police have transferred your niece into our care, and my partner and I have her with us. You are the only relatives we can find."

"Niece?" the boys echoed one another incredulously as they shared a glance.

Dean found his mind reeling. What were he and Sam going to do with a child? How did they know this woman was really their sister, Melissa?

Sam didn't seem to be faring much better. He ran a hand through his longish hair and blew an anxious sigh through his lips. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he shifted from one foot to the other nervously. The thought of having a niece filled him with wonder and excitement, yet at the same time he knew he and Dean were not in the position to care for a child right now.

Dean ran a hand through his short hair and sighed. "Officer Turner, I'm at a bit of a loss here," he sighed. "Sam and I have never met our sister, and our father hasn't seen her since she was two years old. I guess it is a bit hard for us to believe that she was found at the scene of her death so many years later, and now on top of that we find out that she had a daughter."

"Maybe if you meet Melissa's daughter…." Officer Turner trailed off and gestured to his partner who still sat in the car.

The female officer with auburn hair swept up into a tight bun exited the car and then moved to open the back door.

Dean and Sam dropped their duffle bags to the floor of the motel room and finally stepped outside the door onto the small sidewalk that ran in front of the strip of rooms in the old motel. They waited somewhat impatiently as the officer tried to coax the child out of the car.

"She is very timid and shy," Officer Turner pointed out with a sad sigh. "It has taken us several days to find you and she has been passed around between strangers quite a bit. I'm sure that hasn't helped."

Dean's heart pinched with sadness for this little girl whether she ended up being his niece or not. No child should ever have to witness a mother's death.

After what seemed like forever, the female officer stepped back and a small child slowly slid out of the car with her arms hanging limply at her sides. She looked tiny and terrified.

Dean stared in stupefied amazement at the small girl standing next to the police officer. The child had long blonde hair with a slight wave to it that fell just past her shoulder blades. It was tangled and mussed, but the exact shade as Mary Winchester's had been. The little girl wore clothing a size too big for her, and her hands were lost in the sleeves of the red sweater she wore.

"What's her name?" Dean asked the officer hoarsely, now one hundred percent certain that this was his sister's child, his niece. He could feel Sam's presence at his side; his younger brother was just as shocked as he was at the appearance of their kidnapped sister's daughter. Sam had also noticed the child's resemblance to their mother.

"Addy," Officer Turner answered softly. "Addy Grace."

Dean nodded and glanced at Sam before swallowing hard and moving toward the small girl. He heard Sam's footsteps behind him. Dean watched Addy's body stiffen and her face pale at his approach. She was terrified. Dean slowed his pace and then knelt before the child.

Addy drew back, but did not allow her body to touch that of the auburn-haired police officer. She crossed her arms protectively across her chest and pinched her rosebud lips into a tight frown.

"Hey, Addy," Dean began softly so as not to startle her. "I'm your Uncle Dean and this giant behind me," he gestured to his brother and grinned, "is your Uncle Sam."

Addy's brown eyes traveled from Dean to Sam and back again. Her face remained emotionless and her large eyes were dark with sadness.

"Hi, Addy, it's nice to meet you," Sam told her gently with a soft smile.

Dean frowned for a moment as he considered what to do next. "Your mom was my big sister," he finally told Addy. "In fact, you look a lot like our mom – mine and Sam's."

Addy did not move.

"Well, we really need to get going," the female officer stated as she stepped cautiously away from Addy. The child only huddled more tightly in on herself.

"I can get her belongings from your car," Sam offered.

"She didn't have too much," Officer Turner informed him as he turned and began to walk away. "I don't think she and her mom were too well off. One of the officers found her these clothes at the first station house she went to. Then someone went back to the apartment before she was transferred to us here and packed what they could fit into her little suitcase."

Sam followed the officer to the trunk of the patrol car and when they were out of Addy's hearing he asked, "So, just how much did Addy see?"

"She was with her mother's body when the officers arrived," Officer Turner sighed heavily. "Poor kid was covered in blood. They thought she was hurt at first, but it all belonged to her mother." The man swallowed hard. "I'm real sorry for her loss – and yours." He handed Sam a small purple suitcase that rolled on battered wheels.

Sam felt bile rise in the back of his throat at the officer's words. He had witnessed his mother's death, but had been too young to remember a thing about it. Addy was old enough that this would probably haunt her for the rest of her life.

Sam accepted the bag from Officer Turner. "Is this it?" he asked in surprise. "No toys?"

The officer shook his head. "This is all they gave us when they brought her here."

Sam nodded and realized there was probably a shopping trip in their future. "Thanks for bringing Addy here. My brother and I will take good care of her."

"She's going to need a lot of care after what she saw. I don't know exactly what happened in that apartment, but after seeing the crime scene photos I'm sure it's the stuff nightmares are made of."

Sam nodded stiffly and turned to see Dean still trying to draw Addy out of her shell. The child had not moved an inch expect to slump her shoulders even more.

"There's something else," Officer Turner stated hesitantly.

Sam swung his gaze around to study the officer's face. "What is it?" he finally asked when the man remained silent.

"From the crime scene reports," the officer shook his head, "I probably shouldn't say anything, but this was unlike any murder scene I've ever heard of."

"How so?" Sam asked as his brow furrowed in concern.

The police officer shrugged. "Just what was done to your sister, the patterns of the…" He trailed off. "You really don't want to hear all of this after hearing your sister has been killed. I'm sorry." He shook his head and walked quickly back toward his partner leaving Sam staring after him in bewilderment.

The Winchester brothers stood on each side of Addy as the police car drove away a short while later. The child was visibly trembling. Sam looked down at her with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Why don't we go into our room and put your suitcase away?" he offered. "Maybe we can stay here another night so you can rest up."

His eyes met Dean's over Addy's head. He knew they were both full of questions. What in the world were they, two hunters who had no real home, going to do with a child?

Dean turned toward their room as did Sam. They looked over their shoulders to see Addy following them very slowly. Her shadowed eyes studied her newly-discovered uncles carefully.

"I'll go to the front desk and see about getting the room for another night," Dean informed his brother as he stopped in the doorway of the room they were sharing. He just needed a moment to himself to get his thoughts together.

Sam nodded, entered the room, and placed Addy's small suitcase on top of the dresser. Then he picked up the duffle bags from the floor and dropped them onto the bed Dean had used last night.

Addy still stood uncertainly just inside of the door. She looked like a little ragamuffin, Sam mused.

"Addy, are you hungry?" he asked quietly so as not to startle her. "Dean and I can find you something to eat."

The child did not respond. She looked down and picked at an unraveling thread on her too-big sweater.

Sam bit back a sigh. "Maybe some cartoons then," he offered as he reached for the remote. He flipped channels until he found Tom and Jerry.

Addy looked up when Sam stopped on the familiar show.

"Do you want to sit on the bed?" he asked.

She did not move or respond, but kept her eyes on the television.

Dean booked the room for another night and then pulled out his cell phone as he left the motel's office. He dialed his dad's number and waited as John's voicemail answered. "Dad, it's Dean. Uh, I have some news. Some police officers found me and Sam today. They said that Melissa's dead, Dad." Dean had to pause for a moment and swallow hard before he continued. "She was murdered in Denver; we don't really know any details yet, but apparently the crime scene was a bit strange. Sam and I are going to look into things. But, Dad, there's something else. Melissa had a daughter. Sam and I have her with us. We're staying in Creede, Colorado one more night with Addy so she can get used to us. Call me."

He hung up the phone and sucked in a deep breath of the cool mountain air before squaring his shoulders and heading back to his brother and his niece.

The day passed slowly as the boys tried to digest the circumstances of their new situation. Around noon they were finally able to coax Addy to sit down on the floor in front of the battered television. Sam went out and bought the child a burger from a local fast food place along with a small container of milk. She only ate a few bites of the burger before she pushed it to the side and stared at the television once more, but she did drink all of her milk.

"Maybe we should see what is packed in Addy's bag?" Sam thought out loud as he and Dean sat at the room's small table that afternoon as Addy continued to occupy the spot on the floor in front of the television. "There can't be much in there. Maybe she needs some stuff."

Dean nodded and watched as Sam crossed the room and opened the small bag. Inside he found two pairs of jeans, two shirts, and a well-washed pair of pink princess pajamas. A few pairs of socks and underwear were tucked into the outside pocket. The only shoes the child owned were on her feet.

Sam sighed and looked at his brother. "We're going to need to go shopping soon. We should also think about books and toys. We don't have anything to keep a child occupied."

Dean bit back a groan. What did either of them know about shopping for a little girl or any child for that matter?

Sam returned to the table and glanced back at the small girl who had curled in a ball in front of the television set. "Dean," he began hesitantly, "I'm not sure how to feel about Melissa."

His brother looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

Sam sighed and fiddled with an empty straw wrapper he found on the table. "I feel like we should be mourning her somehow, planning a memorial service for her, something, but we didn't even know her. But at the same time, she's our sister. I have this hollow feeling inside and I just…." He trailed off not even knowing how to continue.

"I know, Sammy," Dean sighed. "Me, too."

As bedtime approached, the boys discussed things quietly and decided that a bath or shower was necessary. Addy's hair looked like it hadn't been washed in several days.

At promptly eight thirty, Dean stood and switched off the television. He smiled at Addy and placed his hands on his hips. "Time for a bath, Addy," he called, reaching for her hand.

She launched to her feet and backed up toward the television. Her eyes were round and wide.

"Uncle Sam found your pajamas earlier," he told her. Calling Sam an uncle felt strange on his lips, but he shook the thought away and focused on the child in front of him. "Won't it feel nice to get clean and then put on your pajamas?"

Addy darted around him and cast a wild glance around the room.

"Addy?" Sam questioned softly from his seat at the table.

Dean reached for her slowly and tried to seem as nonthreatening as possible.

Addy screamed and backed herself into the corner as Dean approached. "What the he-I mean, what's wrong with her?' he asked, remembering at the last moment not to curse in front of the child.

"I think you're scaring her," Sam pointed out as his forehead creased in a worried frown. As he watched, Addy drew her knees tightly to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She buried her face in her knees and let out a sob.

"But I haven't done anything!" Dean protested. "I only want her to take her bath."

His younger brother sighed. "Relax, Dean. We're strangers to her. She's scared to death. She just watched her mother get killed and now she's in a motel room in the middle of nowhere with two strange men she's never met before today. Of course she's scared." Sam's voice softened as he took in the sight of his trembling, crying niece.

Dean grunted and ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "Yeah, all right, I guess she is," he grudgingly admitted.

Dean knelt down in front of Addy without getting too close. "We can skip the bath tonight," he said gently. "Why don't you crawl into bed? You can have my bed, and I'll sleep in the chair."

He and Sam waited with baited breath, but there was no response from Addy. Dean looked up at his brother who only shrugged in return. Both Winchesters were at a loss.

Finally, Dean rose and moved slowly toward Addy. "I can help you into bed if you like," he said gently.

Addy screamed in terror and pressed herself back into the corner. Her eyes were wide with fright and huge tears welled in her brown eyes.

"Okay, okay," Dean soothed as he backed away quickly.

"How about if we just give you a blanket in case you get cold?" Sam offered. He plucked the blanket off of his bed and moved close enough to Addy that he could drape it over her feet.

She stiffened at his approach, but remained silent.

"Dean and I will just watch some TV until we fall asleep," Sam explained.

The brothers backed away from the child and sprawled on their beds casting anxious glances every few moments at the small girl huddled in the dusty corner of their motel room.


	3. Chapter 2

**On to chapter two, of our story! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, faved and followed so far! Every review helps us along immensely! Hope you continue to enjoy the story, and please let us know!**

**This chapter was written by: LadyWallace**

Chapter Two

Dean woke early but just lay in bed, thinking. He listened to Sam's deep breaths in the next bed, one comfort at least, and the shallower ones to his other side that belonged to the little girl who he didn't think had slept at all. Melissa… Dean closed his eyes with a deep sigh. He remembered when he had first found out he had a sister. He had been twelve and for whatever reason, had decided to look through some of his dad's old stuff that he always kept in a cigar box in the back of the Impala. He had found a picture there of a little girl in his mother's arms and he knew she had to be her daughter, because she looked just like Mary. And on the back was the note: Melissa's 2nd birthday. John had found him looking through the stuff and was horribly angry about it for a long time, before one day, he just sat Dean and Sam both down and told them about their sister. And he had never mentioned her again. Dean knew how hard it had been for their father to tell the story that once, and so he had never brought it up afterward. Seeing the raw pain in his father's eyes with the unshed tears had been something he never wanted to see again.

And now this. Just when they find out that their sister had been living in Denver, the news comes right on the tail of her murder. Dean liked to think he was stoic, and yeah, he tried his best to be for Sammy, a habit he had kept since he was four years old, but on the inside, he was horrified, sad and confused. Not only had he just found out his older sister, who he had never hoped to meet, had been murdered, but that she had a daughter who didn't seem to have a father and had just witnessed her mother's death first hand. Dean had been her age when Mary was killed and he knew what that did to a kid. But he had had John and baby Sammy to look after. He'd had to grow up, and he hadn't actually seen his mother burn on the ceiling. And sure, he had looked after Sam as a kid by trial and error while John was busy hunting the thing that killed their mom, but Addy had been tossed in with two strangers at the worst possible time. How the hell were he and Sam going to be able to make anything right?

And on top of that, how were they going to look after her? Sure, they could take a few days, but they were going to have to figure out something more permanent for her eventually. They certainly couldn't bring a little girl on the road with them to hunt monsters. Sure, okay, their dad had done that, but he didn't have another choice. And Dean wasn't about to subject another kid to this life if he could help it. Maybe they could take her to Bobby's for a while? He just knew that he wasn't going to put Addy into a foster home or an orphanage. Nope, that wasn't going to fly with Dean.

He heard a whimper and finally sat up to look over at the corner where Addy had stayed the night. She was huddled in the blanket, her arms wrapped around her knees and her eyes wide and red from tears. He reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. Addy started in the sudden light and looked over at him fearfully. Dean smiled at her, hoping to put her at ease.

"Hey Addy, how are you this morning?" he asked her gently. She still had yet to say a word to him or Sam. She just sniffled at him again. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm thinking of getting something for breakfast. What do you like to eat? Eggs, bacon, pancakes?"

She still didn't say anything. "Donuts?" Dean tried.

"Okay then, just don't complain if there's nothing you like. You'll just have to learn to speak up next time." He looked over at Sam who was still sleeping, and got out of the bed, grabbing his clothes before heading to the bathroom to change. He grabbed his keys and smiled at Addy on his way out the door. "You keep the fort, kiddo. Tell your Uncle Sam I've gone for grub if he wakes up."

Dean took a deep breath of fresh air as he got out of the motel room and headed toward the Impala. He checked his phone to see if his dad had called back. He wasn't surprised to find nothing, but was still disappointed. It wasn't the first time he had felt deserted by his dad. But this was kind of important. He was going to try calling again, but decided against it. If his dad didn't want to talk to him, even about his long lost daughter and grandchild, then he wasn't going to push him.

Dean got take out from the diner in town and arrived back at the room with a selection of different things so Addy could pick what she wanted. He couldn't help a smile as he came in. Sam seemed to be taking a shower, because the water was running and he wasn't in bed, and Addy had finally moved from the corner and had curled up in the spot Dean had vacated in the bed, likely still warm. She still wasn't asleep, but didn't look as forlorn as she had sitting in the corner.

"Hey Addy, I brought some food," he told her, setting the boxes on the table. "Why don't you come see what you would like? I can turn some cartoons on for you."

While Dean had his back to her, flipping channels, Addy slid out of the bed and went over to the table. Dean left her there for a few minutes, afraid he would scare her off joining her right away, but finally turned to see her picking at a cinnamon roll. He smiled and sat down next to her, going straight for the bacon and eggs.

"How is that?" he asked. She didn't reply or look at him, but at least the kid was eating. She started slightly as Sam opened the bathroom door, but seemed to settle down when she was it was just Sam. The younger Winchester smiled as he saw her eating, and came to the table, still toweling his hair dry.

"Good morning, Addy," Sam told her, looking through the food Dean had brought and settled on another cinnamon roll. "You get coffee?" he asked his brother.

"Yep," Dean scooted a cup over to him and Sam drank gratefully. They ate for a while before he said, "Are we going to take Addy shopping today?"

"I think that's a good idea, how about it, Addy?" Dean turned to her. "You wanna go and pick a few things out? You could use some new clothes, I think, and you'll have to tell us what kind of snacks you like."

She still didn't reply, just picked apart her cinnamon roll, one layer at a time. Dean shared a glance with Sam and saw that his softhearted brother was suffering from watching the little girl, and she did make a bit of a pathetic picture with the too-big clothes, the unkempt hair, and the dark hollow eyes. Who knew how long it had been since she had slept properly? He didn't think she had slept last night and knew she would likely be suffering from nightmares after what she had gone through.

After they had finished breakfast, Dean tuned to Addy and pulled her suitcase up onto the bed. "We're about ready to go out, Addy. You wanna change into some of your own clothes?"

Addy still didn't say anything, so Dean picked out an outfit and set it on the bed. "Come on, princess, your pumpkin's gonna leave without you."

"Dean, come on," Sam said with a sigh. "You really need to have some lessons about how to deal with kids."

"Dude, I'm great with kids, I raised your sorry butt, didn't I? Who's the big brother here?" Dean shot back. He realized then that Addy had gotten up from the table and started to dress. Dean turned back to his brother with a triumphant look. "See? Perfectly capable."

Sam rolled his eyes but beckoned Dean closer so they could talk without Addy hearing. "Dean, what are we going to do with her? You know we can't keep her with us forever."

"I know, Sam," Dean said, somewhat angry, though not necessarily at his brother. "We'll figure that out eventually. Right now, let's do what we can for her. For Melissa," he added softly and Sam's hazel eyes softened before he ducked his head and nodded.

"Yeah, for Melissa."

When Addy finished dressing, Dean slid on his jacket as Sam pulled on his shoes.

"You ready, Addy?" Dean asked her as he opened the door and motioned for her to exit the room. She stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at her feet. Her hair was still unkempt but Dean didn't know what they could do about that at the moment. He was hardly versed in doing little girl's hair.

"Come on, Addy, we're just going to go to the store," Sam told her gently with a smile, holding out his hand to her. "You don't want to stay here alone, do you?"

That seemed to motivate her. She still didn't look at them and didn't take Sam's proffered hand, but she went out the door and followed them to the Impala. Sam opened the back door for her and after hesitating a moment she climbed in, looking tiny on the bench seat. Sam bent to help buckle her in, but she scooted to the other side of the car and did it herself. Dean watched in the rear-view mirror and swallowed hard. Poor kid.

He started the car as Sam got into the passenger's seat. Sam shut the door and glared at Dean as rock music blared form the stereos.

"Dude, seriously, you're going to scare Addy with that."

"Shut up, Sam, she might like it; how do you know?" Dean retorted but cast a glance back to the little girl, seeing her slumped against the door, her arms hugging herself, and decided the turn the music down. She looked cold and he realized that she didn't have a jacket. That was one thing they would need to buy her.

He shook his head as he pulled out of the motel parking lot and headed toward the nearest superstore they could find.

They parked and got out of the car and Dean went to open Addy's door. He reached a hand to help her out but she ignored it and slipped out by herself, still hugging her arms around herself.

"Stick close, Addy," he told her with a smile, taking up the rear as they marched into the store.

Once inside, Sam reached to take her hand, but she jerked away from him. He shared a look with Dean and his older brother just shook his head, grabbing a cart.

"You wanna ride in the cart, Addy?" he asked grinning, but Addy just looked down at her scuffed sneakers.

"Okay then," Dean continued and they went off into the store.

They went to the clothes department first and Dean tried not to break out into a cold sweat as he saw all the pink, ruffly girl's clothes. Having a little brother had certainly never prepared him for this.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered to his brother who was already smirking even if he was trying to hide it. He went over to Addy and crouched down in front of her.

"We're going to buy you some new clothes, Addy," Sam told her gently. "Why don't you take a look and tell us what you'd like?"

She looked at him for just a fraction of a second and nodded slightly once. That was a start, at least.

Dean was looking through some shirts and held one up for Addy to see. "How about this one? It's purple! You like purple?"

Addy didn't say anything, so Dean held up another one to see if she liked it any better.

"How about these jackets?" Sam coaxed. "They'll keep you warm."

He held up a pink fleece jacket but Addy still seemed to ignore them.

"Can I help you gentlemen?"

Sam and Dean both turned around to see the young, and quite pretty, store attendant who had come up behind them. She was giving them an odd look and Dean realized that they were still holding the little girls' clothes in front of them. They quickly lowered them.

"Oh, we're just buying clothes for our niece," Dean said, giving her his best charming smile as he placed the shirt back on the rack.

"And where is she?" the attendant asked skeptically.

Dean looked around and felt a jolt of fear when he didn't see Addy. "Addy? Hey, where'd you go, Addy?"

He and Sam hurried around the racks of clothing, probably creating a comic sight to anyone watching, but they were too worried to care. Dean stopped and breathed a sigh of relief as he finally saw Addy standing next to another display of shirts.

"Addy, don't run away, all right?" he said, crouching down beside her. She turned to look at him for a second before turning back to the shirts. Dean looked down. "Hey, you like these? Butterflies, huh?"

Addy nodded slightly and Dean picked out a few of the shirts that were her size. "Okay then, how about a jacket now? You like the one Uncle Sam found or do you want to go see what else there is?"

She followed him back to where they were and finally picked out a light purple jacket. The shop attendant was still there, but seemed to finally see Sam and Dean weren't up to no good.

"You need any help?" she asked finally, looking as if she were trying to hide a smile. "No offense, but you don't look really practiced at this."

Sam smiled at her. "We're kind of looking after her because of a…family emergency."

"My brother and I don't have much experience with little girls," Dean added, still trying to give her a flirty grin, even when Sam dug an elbow into his ribs.

"Well, just let me know if you need anything," she said with a smile, looking pointedly at Sam instead of Dean to the elder Winchester's chagrin.

"Dude," Dean muttered to his brother.

"Oh, get over it, Dean," Sam smirked before turning back to Addy.

They picked out several more outfits for her, figuring that would be enough until they figured out something more permanent for her and then went to do the rest of their shopping. They picked up several toiletries and a hair brush for Addy which she didn't seem to have with her. When they had finished that, they went on to the food.

On the way, they passed the toy department, and Sam stopped Dean with a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we should let, Addy pick out a toy. She needs something to play with."

Dean nodded in consent and Sam went over to Addy who stuck close to the cart, even if she wouldn't hold his or Dean's hand. "Hey, Addy, do you want to pick out a toy? Let's go see what they have."

She nodded and followed Sam. Dean smiled at the fact that, even if she still wasn't talking, she was at least giving some communication. They looked for a few minutes until Addy found some soft dolls and picked one off the shelf; a blond doll with a blue dress.

"Do you like that one, Addy?" Dean asked her, bending over.

She nodded and Dean smiled. "Okay then. Time to go get the food."

When they got to the food aisles, Dean turned to Addy who was still holding the doll. "You just grab what you want, Addy. You can have anything you like."

They passed the cereal and Addy took a box of Lucky Charms, putting it into the cart. Several more things followed as they went along: peanut butter crackers, fruit snacks, and macaroni and cheese. Dean smiled, glad she was at least making decisions.

They finished their shopping and paid, carrying the bags out to the car. Addy was wearing her new jacket and seemed warmer now, so Dean didn't feel quite as bad. She was still holding her doll close to her and continued to do so as they made their way back to the motel.

Dean made her the mac 'n cheese for lunch and then turned on the TV for her while he beckoned Sam over to him on the other side of the room so they could talk in private.

"I think we should go to Denver," he told his younger brother. "We should bury Melissa and see if we can find what killed her."

"Do you think it's a good idea to take Addy back there?" Sam asked with a frown. "What if whatever it was is still after her?"

"What other option do we have?" Dean asked, exasperated. "It's all we can do right now. If things get bad, we'll bring her to Bobby, but for now, this is what we need to do."

Sam nodded. "Okay. I'll go pay for the room for another night and then we can leave early in the morning."

Dean confirmed and turned to look over at his niece, eating her lunch, and shook his head. Maybe it wasn't the best course of action until they knew more, but as he had said, they didn't really have another choice at the moment.

All he knew was that he was going to find the monster who killed his sister, supernatural or otherwise, and make sure he didn't hurt anyone else ever again.


	4. Chapter 3

**On to the next chapter! Again, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! Please continue to let us know what you think :)**

**This chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle **

Chapter Three

Dean scrubbed a hand over his face and pushed out of his chair. He was tired of this dingy little motel room and was glad to be leaving in the morning. He did feel a bit of trepidation over the fact that he and Sam would be traveling with a child. Addy seemed so fragile right now and he felt like he had to walk on eggshells around her. It was exhausting.

He glanced over at Sam to see his younger brother typing away urgently on the laptop, his brow furrowed as he concentrated on his work. Dean had a feeling that Sam was trying to find out anything he could about Melissa's death.

"I think I'll go take a shower and hit the sack. The sooner we leave in the morning, the sooner we can get back to Denver." Dean stretched and shuffled to his duffle bag to retrieve a clean pair of underwear and some sleep pants. He could feel Addy eyeing him warily from her place in front of the television, her new doll clasped tightly in her arms.

Dean slipped past her with careful movements and entered the bathroom. He took a hot shower and allowed the water's warm spray to beat against his back as he tried to relieve the tension that knotted up his muscles. The events of the past day had been upsetting and stressful. He tried to block thoughts of Melissa and Addy out of his mind, hoping to force himself to relax. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

When he exited the bathroom, Dean found Sam staring straight at him from his spot at the table. When Sam diverted his gaze to Dean's bed, the elder Winchester followed it. Addy had moved from her spot on the floor and curled up under the blankets on Dean's bed. Her doll was clutched tightly in her arms as her little head peaked from beneath the blankets.

Dean grinned. "I see someone made herself comfortable." He had to stifle a chuckle when Addy tucked her head beneath the covers with only her nose peeking out for air.

Sam smiled and turned the laptop toward his brother so Dean could see the screen. "It will take us about four and a half hours to get to Denver, five if we make a rest stop so Addy can stretch her legs. I called Officer Turner. He said that he would notify the morgue that we were coming to claim Mel - our sister." He darted a glance toward the bed. Addy seemed to shrink even further beneath the covers.

Dean nodded and settled in the small room's only other chair. He leaned back and propped his feet on the table.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked in confusion as he powered down the laptop.

"Getting ready to sleep; what's it look like?" Dean asked as he linked his fingers over his chest and shifted his backside against the chair's hard cushion.

"What I meant was why are you sleeping there?" Sam pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

"Well if you hadn't noticed, Addy is using my bed tonight," Dean explained with a grunt as the chair nearly tipped backwards.

Sam didn't even try to hide his smirk. "I think we can both fit in the other bed, Dean."

"I don't know, Sammy," Dean retorted snidely. "You snore like an old man."

"Jerk," Sam poked at his brother.

Dean pushed out of the chair and settled himself on the far side of Sam's bed. He found himself praying that Addy would get some sleep and make it through the night without any nightmares. Watching the child suffer was heart-wrenching, but what made it ten times worse was that she would not allow them to comfort her.

When Sam opened his eyes the next morning, Addy seemed to be asleep. Her face was relaxed in slumber even as she kept her doll clutched tightly to her chest. A smile curved his lips. He crawled out of bed and dressed quietly before slipping out of the room to get their breakfast.

When Dean woke a short time later, Addy was lying still beneath the covers watching him. He smiled at her. She stared stoically back at him before burying her face in her doll's blonde hair.

Sam rattled the key in the lock and gave the door an extra hard shove as he maneuvered his way inside with coffee and a bag of food.

Addy cried out with alarm as the door struck the wall with a resounding thud.

"It's okay," both Sam and Dean cried out, eager to reassure the child.

Sam carefully placed everything down on the table and then moved to the bed, kneeling down beside it so that he was eye level with his niece. "I'm sorry, Addy," he apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you. My arms were full, and I was having a hard time getting the door open."

The child gazed back at him with large, wary eyes. He offered her a gentle smile. "I got some more cinnamon buns like the ones Uncle Dean bought you yesterday."

Dean felt his heart pinch at being called "uncle." It was the first time he'd heard the term connected with his name out loud. The eldest Winchester brother had always vowed to himself that someday Sam would have the normal life that he wanted which included children for Dean to spoil. He hadn't expected this little girl to come into his life and capture his heart in the blink of an eye.

He watched as Sam stood and returned to the table. Dean rolled out of bed and joined his little brother. "Come on, Addy. Food's getting cold."

Both brothers watched as Addy wordlessly scrambled out of bed with her doll tucked in the crook of her arm. Her new violet nightgown with the unicorn on the front fit her perfectly.

Sam frowned as he stared at Addy's hair. He had no idea how they were ever going to tease the tangles out of the rat's nest it was becoming. He polished off his eggs and sausage before digging in one of the bags from yesterday's shopping excursion and removing the brush they'd purchased. "Pick out what you want to wear today, Addy, and then you can brush your hair."

Silently, the child finished off her cinnamon bun. She wiped at her mouth with her sleeve. Sam winced at the sticky sugar that now covered the arm of the brand new nightgown. He cut the tags off of the pair of jeans and the butterfly shirt that Addy pointed to and then sent her into the bathroom to brush her teeth and change. When she emerged, he handed her the new brush, knowing she would not allow him nor Dean close enough to brush her hair. "Addy, you need to see if you can get some of those tangles out of your hair," he told her gently.

The child settled on the bed and began to brush haphazardly at her tangled blonde tresses. Dean and Sam exchanged amused looks when Addy's face screwed up in concentration. Her hair didn't look much better when she had finished, but at least she had worked out a few of the tangles.

Sam tucked the brush into the side pocket of Addy's purple bag along with her toothbrush and the bubblegum toothpaste they'd bought for her. The brothers took turns in the bathroom getting dressed and then they were ready to leave.

Dean checked them out while Sam loaded the car. Addy stood silently beside the door to the motel room and watched him.

"Ready, Ads?" Dean asked as he returned from the motel's office, the new nickname for his niece rolling easily off his tongue.

Without nodding, the child clambered into the Impala when Sam opened the door. She buckled her seatbelt and tucked her doll securely into her lap.

"Let's roll," Dean ordered. He and Sam climbed into the car and Dean turned the key making the engine roar to life. He flipped on his music and kept the volume lower than normal for Addy's sake. He could feel the knowing grin Sam threw his way and ignored it.

They'd been traveling for about three hours when Addy's small hand patted the back of the seat urgently.

Sam turned to look over his shoulder. "What is it, Addy? Are you okay?"

She gazed at him beseechingly and suddenly he knew. "Uh, Dean, I think Addy needs to use the little girl's room."

Dean's eyes widened slightly and he looked mildly panicked. "I'll look for the next gas station," he promised. Soon he was pulling into the parking lot of a small general store that boasted two gas pumps out front. Sam opened the car door for Addy and she scooted out and danced impatiently from one foot to the other.

Sensing her urgency, Sam hurried toward the store with his niece jogging quickly at his side. He pushed the door open and scanned the small, cluttered space. "Back there," he pointed toward the far right corner as he finally spotted the sign for the restrooms. He quickly directed Addy into the ladies room and urged her not to touch anything but what was absolutely necessary.

"Let me hold your doll," he told her just before she took the toy into the restroom. "You don't want to put her on the dirty floor. She will get covered in germs."

Addy hesitated, but the urge to go to the restroom finally overcame her distrust of Sam. She thrust the doll into his waiting hands and hurried into the one-seater restroom.

She emerged a short time later looking much relieved. Her hands were still slightly wet and she wiped them on her jeans before reaching to retrieve her doll from Sam. He handed her the doll and turned to see Dean at the register paying for gas.

A rack of books caught his eye. "Look, Addy, maybe you'd like a book. Uncle Dean and I could read it to you."

The child stopped in front of the small rack of colorful books. Her eyes scanned their covers carefully.

"Do you see one you like?" Sam asked gently.

He smiled when Addy finally reached out and pointed to a book with a mischievous black kitty on the cover. "Bad Kitty," he read with a grin. "I think that's a good choice." Sam tugged his wallet out of his pocket and Addy followed him to the cash register.

"Put your book on the counter so the cashier can ring it up," Sam instructed her.

Addy stood on tiptoe and placed the book in front of the motherly woman at the register before stepping back to Sam's side and hugging her doll.

"Your daughter is absolutely adorable," the woman gushed as she peered over the counter at Addy.

Sam felt heat rising in his cheeks. "Thank you," he told her. "This is my niece." He longed to reach over and brush the child's messy hair from her face, but he knew his touch would not be welcome.

"Well, she's precious," the lady continued.

"Thanks, again," Sam told her as he pocketed his wallet. He and Sam followed Dean out to the Impala. Sam dreaded the trip to the morgue that he knew awaited them.

Addy dozed off in the backseat before they reached Denver. Sam glanced at her over his shoulder before he broached the subject of the morgue with his brother. "One of us will have to stay outside with Addy. We can't take her in the morgue," Sam said softly.

Dean mulled things over for a moment. "I'll identify the body, Sam," he replied with a tired sigh. "You stay outside with Addy."

Sam felt for his brother. Viewing the body of their dead sister would not be an easy task. They had no idea what their sister actually looked like, they only had a few faded photographs that their father kept stashed away and those had been taken of Melissa as a toddler. Sam could only suppose that Melissa looked like Mary because Addy favored their mother quite a bit.

When Dean parked the Impala in the lot behind the city morgue, Addy was still asleep with her doll wrapped tightly in her arms.

"If she wakes up I'll take her to the park across the street," Sam told his brother as he eyed the small green area with monkey bars and two slides. A swing set was placed off to one side.

Dean nodded curtly and shut the car door as quietly as he could. Addy shifted in the backseat, but slept on.

The eldest Winchester brother climbed the stone steps and opened the heavy door that lead to coroner's office. Once inside, his shoes tapped a rhythm on the tile floor as he made his way to the receptionist's desk. Too late he realized that he didn't even know his sister's last name.

"Can I help you, sir?"

Dean blinked. A cute blonde with big blue eyes and a pert nose smiled at him as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Uh," Dean floundered for a moment, "my sister was murdered. I've come to identify her body." He watched as the woman's face flooded with sympathy and Dean prayed it would be enough to get him inside without his sister's last name.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss," the woman murmured. She quickly pulled up something on her computer. "What was your sister's name, sir?"

"Melissa," he answered, nearly holding his breath.

The blonde squinted at the screen. "Ah, here she is. Melissa Winchester."

Dean's eyes widened in surprise at the fact that his sister had kept, or had at least at some point taken, her original name. He managed to nod at the woman.

She gave him a sad smile and gestured toward black plastic chairs lined up against one wall. "If you will just wait over there, someone will be with you shortly."

"Thank you, ma'am," Dean replied. He slumped in one of the uncomfortable chairs and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. He remembered the shock he'd felt when his father had sat him and Sam down and told them that they had a big sister. He'd fallen asleep that night trying to imagine what she looked like and wondered if she was even still alive.

"Family of Melissa Winchester?" a male voice called from the doorway to the right of the receptionist's desk.

Dean nodded and rose. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to dispel the butterflies from his stomach. This wasn't just any nameless victim of a supernatural crime. This was his big sister. Even though he'd never known her, she was still his sister. It hurt to think that she was gone and he would never get to know her. Melissa would never see Addy graduate, get married, and have children of her own. Dean wished he knew why life was so unfair to anyone who carried the name Winchester.

"Right this way, sir," the young man, probably an assistant to the coroner told him.

Dean followed the short, sandy-haired man down a long hallway. They stopped beside the last door on the right.

"I am very sorry for your loss, sir," the young man told Dean gently. "Your sister's body is right through here. We can go in whenever you are ready."

Dean nodded and sucked in a breath. "I'm ready. I want to see my sister." He wished Sam was with him.

The assistant opened the door and Dean stepped inside the small room to see his sister's body covered by a white sheet. He swallowed hard and forced his feet to move forward.

The coroner's assistant flipped through the chart he held in his hand. "I'm afraid your sister suffered quite a bit of trauma," he sighed. "We cleaned her up as well as we could, but…" He trailed off.

Dean nodded. "Would it be possible to have a moment alone with her?" he asked, clearing his throat around the sudden lump that had formed and wouldn't go away.

The man shook his head. "We aren't supposed to leave the room, but I can go over here in the corner and get a few things done on the computer while you say your goodbyes."

"Thanks," Dean told him earnestly. He waited until the man was occupied at the computer before reaching out a trembling hand to grasp the sheet. Bracing himself, he pulled the sheet back and found himself staring at the pale, lifeless face of his big sister. Her hair was blonde just like their mother's. She had Sam's nose and her eyes were shaped like his own. Dean felt as if he couldn't breathe as he gazed down into Melissa's still face.

Reaching out a tentative hand, he placed it on her forehead and fingered a strand of her blonde hair. "Hey, Melissa, I'm your brother Dean. Our brother Sammy's out in the car with Addy. She's asleep." He swallowed hard. "I promise we will do our best to take care of her. Our lifestyle isn't necessarily suited for a child, but if we can't find her father or if he can't take her, then Sam and I will care for her. She will always be loved, Melissa; you can count on that."

Keeping his right hand on her forehead, Dean lifted the sheet with his left hand. Forcing himself to be clinically detached, he observed his sister's wounds. From the wounds he found on her neck to the way her body had been abused, he had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew what had killed Melissa and he thought he was going to be sick. A vampire.

Dean couldn't remember leaving Melissa's body or thanking the coroner's assistant after signing the paperwork to claim his sister. All he could do now was cling to the sides of the stall as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Addy must have been terrified hearing her mother's screams as she was attacked. He vomited again and then flushed the toilet before stumbling to the sink and splashing cold water on his face. All he wanted to do was hold Addy close and promise her that everything would be all right.

It was a few minutes before he could bring himself to return to the car and face his niece. Dean found the Impala empty. Looking toward the park, he could see Sam's tall form slouched on a bench while Addy sat listlessly on a swing looking lonely and forlorn.

Dean crossed the street and folded himself down on the bench next to his younger brother.

Sam looked over at him and frowned. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Dean sighed and fixed his eyes on Addy before he replied. "Melissa was murdered by a vampire, Sam." He let the sentence hang in the air between them.

Sam sat up straight, his attention fully on his brother. "Are you sure?"

Dean nodded curtly.

"Why us, Dean? Why our family?" Sam spat as he ran a hand through his brown hair.

"I don't know, Sammy," he sighed. A heavy silence hung between the brothers before Dean asked, "How's Ads?"

Sam shrugged. "Scared. Confused. I don't know how to help her, Dean."

The older brother sighed. "She'll come around, Sam. Just give her time. She's been through a lot, and she doesn't know who to trust." Dean stood up. "Let's go get a motel room so we can start checking around and asking some questions."

Sam stood and called for Addy. She immediately slid from the swing and walked toward her uncles with her doll clutched against her.

"Are you hungry, Ads?" Dean asked her. He wanted to reach out and ruffle her hair, but instead he shoved his hands deep into the pocket of his coat.

She didn't nod or speak, but followed the Winchester brothers to the Impala and climbed in.

After a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs at a local family restaurant, they settled into a motel room for the night. Sam settled at the small table in the corner with the laptop. Dean sprawled on the bed closest to the door and flipped channels idly on the television before coming to rest on a local news broadcast.

Addy sat cross-legged on the other bed with her doll in her lap. She brushed the doll's blonde hair with her own new hairbrush.

The television droned loudly as she played. "In other local news, no arrest has been made in the brutal murder of single mother Melissa Winchester."

Dean's eyes widened as his sister's face appeared on the screen, smiling and well. He had no idea where the news station had found the picture, but he scrambled for the remote. It was nowhere to be found on the bed.

"Melissa's daughter was found at the scene of the bloody murder alive and unharmed. So far there are no suspects and no known motive."

A bloodcurdling screech tore from Addy's throat. "Mommy!" she wailed.

Sam nearly dove out of the chair and snatched the remote off of the floor where it had slid under the edge of the bedspread. He aimed it at the television and pressed the off button with his thumb, but it was too late. Addy sobbed brokenly on the bed across the room.

"Mommy….Mommy!"


	5. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter to start off your weekend! I hope you are all enjoying this story so far, thanks again to all who have left reviews. Let us know how we're doing! And can I just say congrats to Supernatural for passing the 200th episode? Awesome!**

**This chapter was written by: LadyWallace**

Chapter Four

Dean panicked. Full on panic, and he didn't do that very often. All he could think of was that he should have protected Addy better. He was an idiot. And now she was having a breakdown and he had no idea what to do with her.

Sammy had never reacted like this when he was a child. When he got scared he would crawl into Dean's bed and even with all the things that had happened to them, Sam had never been traumatized like Addy had since he had been too young to remember. Dean's first instinct was to hold her, make her feel safe, but he thought that might be a bad idea. So he just froze, halfway off the bed, Sam crouching at his feet, holding the remote in a death grip and looking just as lost as he was while Addy cried and shouted for her mother. Her broken screams pierced the brothers' hearts like a thousand knives, and Dean finally had to get up, try to do something about it at least.

He knelt by the bed Addy was on and reached out cautiously. "Addy, hey, it's okay, sweetie. Uncle Dean's here."

She pulled away from him and curled up on the bed, still sobbing. Sam stood up to sit on the bed, but she pulled away with a scream and nearly fell off the bed to get as far away from him as possible.

"Okay, Addy, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Sam said, getting up quickly, casting a hopeless look at Dean.

"What do we do?" Sam asked quietly. "Dean, we have to calm her down, what if people hear…"

As if in answer to his worries, a knock came on the door to their room.

"Hey, is everything all right in there?" a voice called.

"Go," Dean urged his brother as he sat on the side of the bed, hushing Addy. "Shh, Addy, it's okay." Why he kept saying that, he didn't know. Of course it wasn't okay. Her mother was dead, killed by a monster while she watched. He glanced over as Sam opened the door to see the manager standing there, looking angry and distrustful.

"I've had complaints, and a concerned woman wanting to make sure there wasn't any child abuse going on."

"We're sorry for the disturbance," Sam said, trying to calm the man. "Our niece had a nightmare. She's gone through a lot of stuff lately. We're having a tough time calming her down."

"I will call the police if it gets worse," the manager threatened. "I won't abide kidnappers here."

"Call Officer Hale if you're worried," Sam told him tiredly. "He's the one who authorized putting her into our custody. Now, please."

The manager took the hint and left, though a bit reluctantly. Sam sighed as he closed the door. Addy's sobs had lessened and she was now allowing Dean to sit a few inches from her feet. Sam sat down on the other bed as he listened to Dean.

"Look Addy," Dean said quietly, hunched over, his elbows rested on his knees as he played with the bracelet on his wrist. "I know what you're going through. You know, I lost my mom when I was your age too. I missed her a lot, I still miss her and I know you miss your mom a lot too; and that's never going to change, and there's nothing wrong with that." He listened to her sobs muffled by the pillow, a few gulping hiccups spacing them out, letting him know she was nearly exhausted. He wanted to brush the messy hair away from her face or pull her into his arms and give her a hug to let her know everything was all right, but he had already made this much progress, and he didn't want to mess it up now.

"I know you were really scared, Addy," He continued, looking over at the little girl. "I know you saw some really bad things that you never should have had to see. Monster things." She flinched and sniffled again, and Dean wondered whether he should have started on this train of conversation, but it was too late now. "Well, you know what me and Uncle Sam do, Addy? We hunt monsters, and save people from them. So you know what? We're gonna get the thing that killed your mom, and we're gonna make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else. And you don't ever have to worry, Addy, not ever again, because Sam and I are gonna make sure that nothing bad ever happens to you. Okay?"

She didn't reply, and he hadn't expected her to, but she had quieted to sniffling, and that was a start. Dean looked back at his brother, a bit self-conscious about what he had said, but there was no ridicule in Sam's eyes. Dean sat beside Addy until he was sure she was asleep and then he pulled the blanket over her and gently stroked the hair back from her face. Instead of flinching, as he had feared, she leaned into his hand and he smiled.

"I promise you we'll get this thing," Dean whispered before he went to get ready for bed as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake her up.

"I think we need to go to the apartment tomorrow," Dean told Sam as they climbed into the other bed.

"We'll have to find something to do with Addy," Sam mused with a yawn.

"Yeah, I know, I'll think of something. I was going to call Officer Hale in the morning. Maybe they can keep her there, or they know someone who can take care of her." He yanked the blankets away from his brother and Sam groaned in protest, kicking backwards at Dean's shin.

"Dude, we need to get a room with a couch," Dean growled. "You were a lot less sasquatch the last time we shared a bed."

Sam snorted. "At least I don't snore."

"Oh come on, we are not having that conversation," Dean told him as he rolled onto his side and anchored the blanket under his shoulder and knee. He smiled; Sammy was going to have a hard time stealing that in the middle of the night.

But he sobered again as he thought of their new hunt. So often it was just a victim. Sure, they both had a problem with getting involved and attached on occasion, but this was different, personal. This was about family.

_I just wish you'd call back, Dad_, Dean sighed as his eyes closed and he finally found a fitful sleep to lose himself in for a few hours before he would have to face reality again.

* * *

><p><em>Addy was even more sullen<em> in the morning, and Dean ached inwardly seeing that. The trauma she had gone through the night before seemed to have set her back to square one. He watched her attempt to brush her hair again when Sam went out to fetch breakfast, and wished she would let them help. He was worried people would start thinking she wasn't being taken care of with her solemn expression and unkempt look. He ran his hand over his face. Then they had Melissa's funeral to plan for. He supposed they would have to go look for a funeral plot as well. Not something he was looking forward too.

When Sam came back with the food, Dean took the card Officer Turner had given them with the Denver Police Department number and went out to call Officer Hale, the policeman who had arrived on the scene of the murder. He came back a few minutes later and beckoned Sam over to the other side of the room so they could talk without Addy overhearing.

"I called Hale, and he said we could go to the apartment and collect some of Melissa and Addy's things. They've done all they can there. Of course, we already know what killed her," Dean told him tiredly.

Sam nodded. "It would be good to collect some more of Addy's things though. And maybe we can find out from Melissa's stuff what might have happened."

"Hale also said there was a lady who babysat Addy in the apartment complex. He had questioned her after the murder. Maybe we can take her there while we search the apartment."

Sam hesitated, but he knew as well as Dean that they couldn't bring Addy back to the apartment. Not after how she had reacted so badly to seeing her mother's picture on the news the night before. He nodded. "I guess it's all we can do."

Dean turned back to eat his breakfast and get some caffeine into his system then grabbed his jacket and keys.

"Come on, Addy, we're going to go visit an old friend of yours," Dean told her with a smile. "Get your jacket, it's chilly outside."

Addy did as she was told and grabbed her doll, following Sam and Dean out of the motel room.

It wasn't a long drive to the apartment, and Sam and Dean asked at the counter for Mrs. Jones and the key for Melissa's apartment, having to show an ID—Amazingly Dean actually had one with his real name on it. Addy stood close to them, almost pressed against Dean's side, but not touching him, hugging her doll to her chest. As they made for the elevator, Dean tried offering his hand to her, but she still wouldn't take it.

They found Mrs. Jones room and knocked on the door. It was opened a moment later by an elderly woman, with a motherly air. She cast a suspicious glance at the two young men, but when she saw Addy, her face brightened.

"Addy! Oh, dear, it's good to see you, sweetheart." She looked up at Sam and Dean questioningly.

"Mrs. Jones," Dean began, smiling and offering her his hand. "I'm Dean Winchester and this is my brother, Sam. We're Addy's uncles."

"Oh, yes, Officer Hale said he was looking for you when he talked to me," Mrs. Jones said then lowered her voice, "Have they…?"

"No," Sam offered. "But hopefully soon."

"We don't mean to intrude, but we're not from here, and we have some…things to see to. Would it be okay if Addy stayed with you for a couple hours?" Dean asked.

"Of course, Addy, come inside, love." She stood to one side of the door and as Addy went in, she pulled the little girl into a warm hug, which Addy pulled away from quickly, though not as violently as she would have with Sam or Dean. Mrs. Jones cast a glance up at the two men as Addy went into the room. Sam smiled sadly.

"She's been having a bit of trouble adjusting," he said gently. "As you can imagine, the trauma was intense."

The old lady nodded, tears in her eyes. "I'll see what I can do. Go do what you need to for your sister. I just can't believe it. Poor Melissa, she was always so sweet, even though she had her share of problems. And Addy's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." She shook her head. "I hope Officer Hale finds who did this. I'm not a violent sort, but I hope he shoots the man when he finds him."

"I'm sure he'll come to justice," Dean told her. More than sure. It's certain, he added silently. "Thank you again. We'll be back later."

They left to head to the room Melissa stayed in and used the key the front desk had provided.

They entered the room silently, careful. It wasn't big, and Dean could see right off that Melissa hadn't had much money, but it had been cozy before it had become a crime scene and big enough for a mother and her daughter. Dean began to wonder about Addy's father then. Was he still alive? If he was, Dean was going to have to find him and have some words. Words that involved bloody knuckles and broken noses.

"Dean," he heard Sam's soft voice from around the corner and he went to join him, his stomach nearly revolting when he saw that there were still bloodstains on the cheap linoleum floor of the kitchen. Things had mostly been cleaned, but you could never really erase a crime scene, ghosts or not.

"We should get what we need and leave," Dean said quickly, seeing the pale pallor of Sam's face and his younger brother didn't protest. He reached up to squeeze Sam's shoulder reassuringly before he turned to the table, looking at the papers on it.

"Hey, look at this," he called to Sam who came to join him.

It seemed Melissa had been looking for them as Turner said. There were pictures, information, and phone numbers on the papers on the table - all about the Winchesters.

"How did she find all this stuff?" Dean wondered aloud.

"I want to know how she found out she was even a Winchester," Sam added. "I mean, she was so young when she was kidnapped and then put into foster care. She couldn't have remembered that."

Dean was silent; he looked around the rest of the kitchen, pulling a birthday card off the fridge. He opened it, seeing the note: _Happy Birthday Mel! You deserve that extra piece of cake -Your Bestie, Karen._

He set it down on the counter and left the kitchen. He glanced at the broken window, now covered with plastic, obviously the way the vamp escaped. He ventured into Melissa's room then, motioning to Sam. "You go see if you can find anything of Addy's. I'll check and see if I can find an address book for something."

Melissa's room was spare but tasteful. The beside table held several worn paperbacks and when he opened the drawer he did find the address book he had been hoping for. Setting it to one side for the moment, he searched the closet and the clothes drawers but didn't find anything else. The only thing he found was a simple gold locket on top of the dresser. He opened it and saw Addy's picture inside. He held it in his hand for a moment, trying to get a hold of his emotions. Melissa must have worn that all the time, if not every day. He would have to give it to Addy, maybe find a picture of her mother to stick in the other side. He was going to put it in his pocket put decided to simply clasp it around his own neck instead, though tucked beneath his shirt so Sam wouldn't tease him.

The last place to check was under the mattress so that's where he looked. He found two items under there: a folder of documents and a 9mm pistol.

"Good job, sis," Dean muttered, impressed, but also worried. Had Melissa been expecting trouble? Of course, being kidnapped could also do that to you. He tucked the gun into the back of his jeans, deciding it was probably better he take it with him than leave it lying around for the landlord to find. Upon inspection, the folder held legal documents including Addy's birth certificate. That would come in handy in their search for her father.

He then sat on the bed and took up the address book. He flipped first to the section for Family and was surprised to find not only his dad's but his and Sam's names listed there. There were no addresses, and the only phone number listed was John's, but it told him how much Melissa had hoped to meet them one day. To be able to write something in the blank spaces. There was also another couple listed, which he thought might have been her foster parents. He might have to remember that later, but since they lived in Indiana, they probably wouldn't know any details of the current happenings.

Friends was the next section he checked and there at the top was the Karen of the card. He smiled as he saw she lived right in town. If she had been good friends with Melissa, then maybe she knew what his sister had been up to before she was murdered.

Sam came into the room at that moment. "Find anything?"

Dean showed him the address book. "Yeah, I think we should pay a visit to this Karen Beechman, she's a friend of Melissa's."

"Good, maybe she'll know something. We can head over there after we pick up Addy," Sam said. "I got what I could find of her stuff. There wasn't much, just a few books and some stuffed animals and some more clothes."

"I think that's all we're going to find here," Dean told him, standing up and tucking the address book and folder under his arm. He also grabbed all the stuff Melissa had found on them, in case there was a clue somewhere that connected them to her murder.

"You know, Dean," Sam said, as they collected Addy's things and locked the apartment after them. "I was kind of wondering if maybe Melissa was killed because of Dad."

"Come on, Sam, not everything is Dad's fault," Dean said, slightly exasperated.

Sam rolled his eyes. "No, not directly, I mean like, don't you think it's an odd coincidence that she was murdered right as she was on the verge of finding us? I'm just wondering if maybe Dad was hunting some vamps and one wanted to take revenge on him."

"Sam, Dad didn't even know Melissa was alive, how could a vamp possibly come up with a connection?" Dean asked skeptically.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, Dean, we don't really know what Dad has gotten into since he went missing. Maybe he got wind of Melissa's research and looked into it."

"Well, either way," Dean said tiredly. "Let's solve one mystery at a time. Right now, let's go get Addy and drive over to Karen Beechman's place."

Addy looked a little improved when they picked her up from Mrs. Jones'. She still wouldn't smile or talk to them, but she didn't look quite as bad as she had that morning either. She even allowed the elderly woman to hug her goodbye.

"You boys let me know if you need me to watch her again, okay?" she told them before they left. "My door is always open for Addy."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jones," Sam told her with a smile before he turned to Addy. "Come on, Addy, we're going to go visit one of your mom's friends. Uncle Dean and I got the rest of your things too."

Her eyes lit up a bit as Sam showed her the bag of her things, but she still wasn't willing to talk as she followed them back down to the Impala. Sam gave her the bag in the backseat and he watched her in the rearview mirror as she pulled out a teddy bear and a book and held them fondly.

It was only about a fifteen minute drive to Karen Beechman's house and Dean pulled up on the side of the street and cut the engine. He looked back at Addy and saw recognition in her eyes. Good, that meant she had been here before.

She got out at the same time that Sam and Dean did, bringing her doll along as usual, and followed them up the path to the door.

Dean rang the bell and they waited a few seconds before it was opened by a woman of about thirty, with curly brown hair and blue eyes; she squinted at them as if trying to figure out if she had seen them before.

"Karen Beechman?" Dean asked.

"Yes," she replied then spotted Addy, who came around Sam's legs. "Oh, Addy! Come here, love!" She reached for the little girl and pulled her tightly against her, running a hand through her tangled hair. Addy was still in her grip but she didn't try to get away either which surprised Dean. Karen looked back up at the boys. "You must be Dean and Sam. I'm so glad you stopped by. Would you like to stay for lunch?"

"We just wanted to talk to you a bit," Sam said.

"But if you want us for lunch, we'll stay," Dean added with a smile, ignoring the look Sam shot him.

Karen smiled and pulled Addy in as she stepped away from the door. "Come in, please. Sarah! Come here!

A little girl with brown pigtails, about eight years old, came skipping into the room, glancing curiously at Sam and Dean before seeing Addy.

"Addy!" she squealed, excitedly. Addy almost smiled which brought a grin to Dean's face. Karen turned to the brothers.

"They play together a lot. Sarah, this is Sam and Dean, they are Addy's uncles."

"Hi!" the little girl said, waving at them.

"Why don't you take Addy to your room to play, Sarah?" Karen suggested, casting a glance at the brothers. "I'll call you when lunch is ready."

"Okay, come on, Addy," Sarah grabbed the younger girl's hand and pulled her down the hall.

Karen motioned Sam and Dean into the kitchen. "Come in, I suspect you're here about Mel." Her voice wavered, but she busied herself filling two glasses with iced tea for them. "I can't believe it. Who would do that to her? She never hurt anyone."

"We're trying to find out," Sam assured her kindly. "We didn't even know she was here until the police showed up with Addy."

"So if you know us, I guess Melissa told you that she was looking for us and our dad," Dean added, taking a drink.

Karen nodded. "Yes, I was helping her call people for information. She had been looking since she was sixteen to find out who she was. A few months ago, she finally came up with a news article about a young girl who had been kidnapped from Lawrence, Kansas the same year she was admitted into a foster home. The only thing she ever knew was that her name was Melissa, and so was the girl who was kidnapped. Then she found some pictures of her parents and she just knew."

"She looks just like our mother," Dean told her quietly.

Karen nodded, her mouth quivering. "She was so excited to find you and your dad. She had just gotten your dad's phone number the day she was murdered." She turned around, her hand pressed to her face. "I'm sorry; I just wish she could have met you. And poor Addy, I don't even know how to describe how that must have been. She looks so different."

Dean nodded sadly. "She's having a rough time. I'm afraid we're…well, not really doing everything right. But we're doing what we can for her."

Karen nodded. "You seem like good boys. I'm so sorry about your sister. It must have been hard finding out she was murdered before you really knew she was alive anyway."

The brothers nodded, and they watched as Karen made grilled cheese for the girls and put out other sandwich things. "You help yourself. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Did Melissa ever mention feeling in danger or like anyone was following her?" Sam asked as he grabbed the plate Karen handed him.

She thought a moment and then shook her head. "She didn't say anything to me, and I think she would have if she was concerned. We were like sisters—unless she didn't have time."

"Did you know she kept a gun under her mattress?" Dean asked curiously.

Karen nodded. "Yes. Mel wasn't one to mess around. Even though she was really young when she was kidnapped, she didn't want to take chances, especially living alone with Addy."

"Addy's father," Dean ventured. "Do you know who or where he is?"

Karen shook her head. "No. Mel didn't talk about him, and I never wanted to ask. I don't think he's dead though, but if he didn't want to stick around, then I don't think he's worth finding."

Dean constructed a sandwich and watched as Sam did the same. Karen reached into the fridge to cut up an apple for the girls.

"I don't mean to pry, but have you planned a funeral for Melissa yet?" Karen asked after a while.

"We haven't really had time to think about it with taking care of Addy," Sam admitted.

"I can help if you want," Karen told them. "My sister-in-law works at a funeral directory. It's the least I can do for Mel. I don't want you to have to do all that too."

"That would actually help a lot," Sam said with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Karen gave him a sad smile. She went into the hall and called for the girls. Addy followed on the heels of Sarah and Dean smiled as he saw her hair had been brushed and put into matching ponytails.

"I did Addy's hair!" Sarah exclaimed, as she sat at the table. "It was big mess so I fixed it."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, Uncle Dean and I aren't really good at doing hair."

Dean was glad that Addy seemed to have opened up to the other girl. Maybe it would help being around other kids, especially ones she knew well."

They ate their lunch and Karen talked to Sam and Dean and the girls, tactfully keeping the topic away from Melissa for Addy's sake.

"What's your doll's name, Addy?" Sarah asked, pointing to the doll Addy still kept her in lap.

She didn't say anything for a while, and Sarah asked again. Then, quietly, still looking at the table, Addy whispered. "Melissa."

Karen cast a glance at the brothers, who were fighting to keep their emotions at bay. Finally Karen looked back at the girls and smiled broadly. "Maybe you can have a doll tea party afterwards."

"Yes!" Sarah exclaimed.

They finished lunch and ran back to Sarah's room. Karen sighed deeply as she gathered the dishes. Sam got up to intercept her. "I can do those. It's the least we can do."

She didn't protest and sat back down across from Dean as Sam started the wash.

"So, are you boys planning on keeping Addy yourselves?" she asked after a while.

Dean took a deep breath. "We'd like nothing more, but Sam and I…well, we travel a lot and it's no life for a little girl. That's how we grew up and I won't subject another child to that. But if nothing else comes, yes, she'll stay with us."

Karen nodded, her eyes looking wet. "If you ever need a place for her to stay. Just bring her here. She'll always be welcome."

Dean nodded. "Thanks."

They let Addy play with Sarah for a while longer then reluctantly decided they needed to leave.

"Thank you so much," Sam said, shaking Karen's hand.

"I'll let you know when I get arrangements for Melissa," Karen told him.

"Here's our numbers," Sam told her, writing them down on a piece of paper.

"Come on, Ads," Dean called to his niece. She left Sarah reluctantly and came over to him and Sam. Karen hugged her again and this time Addy actually hugged her back just a bit.

"Come see us soon, Addy," Karen said, then smiled at the boys. "You too."

Dean smiled back and guided Addy to the door with a gentle hand on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen slightly, but she didn't pull away, and he finally felt that they might be getting somewhere. "Let's go, kiddo."

As they drove back to the motel, Dean mulled over the information they had gathered that day. Was it really possible that Melissa could have been killed because of something John had done? A hunt gone wrong? All Dean knew was that he was going to get to the bottom of this, and soon, because he couldn't wait to cut the head off the vamp who had done that to his sister. If anything was certain, it was that.


	6. Chapter 5

**Here's another chapter, as always thank to the reviewers! This one has a bit of fluff in it, so I hope you all enjoy :)**

**This chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle **

Chapter Five

When they reached their motel room, Addy immediately crawled on Dean's bed, clutched her doll close, and closed her eyes. They'd had a long day, and the child was tired. Sam draped a blanket over her and then moved away before he could make the child uncomfortable.

Dean pulled out the laptop and settled at the room's small, round table where Sam joined him a moment later. As they waited for the laptop to boot up, the quietly discussed their next move.

"We need to see if we can find her f-a-t-h-e-r," Sam spelled as he glanced over his shoulder at the child on the bed. He could tell by Addy's breathing that she wasn't asleep yet.

Dean nodded resolutely. "But before he even lays eyes on her, we're checking him out," he promised vehemently. "There's no way I'm letting some creep get his hands on her. If he couldn't care about her when our sister was alive, then he doesn't deserve her."

Sam nodded in agreement and tugged the laptop over in front of him. He stared thoughtfully at the screen as he planned out his search strategy. Pulling up the search engine, he typed in the name on Addy's birth certificate – Aidan Richards.

Dean's eyes strayed to the small girl huddled under the blanket on the bed. Her breathing had evened out and she was sleeping soundly. Dean felt anger bubble in the pit of his stomach as he imagined Addy's father leaving a pregnant Melissa alone and vulnerable. He imagined his sister struggling to work to pay the rent and put food for her daughter on the table. He wished that Melissa could have found them sooner. He and Sam would have helped her with Addy, that was for certain. They may not have been able to be around all the time, but they would have paid for clothes and toys and helped with the rent.

Dean found himself trying to imagine what Melissa had been like. Had she laughed easily? Had her eyes sparkled like their mother's when she was happy? Was she a bookworm like Sam? Did she have a sarcastic sense of humor like Dean himself?

The eldest Winchester brother shook himself from his thoughts as Sam grunted and shoved the laptop towards him. "Think this could be him?"

Dean scrutinized the picture Sam had pulled up on the computer screen.

"He's thirty two years old and lives in Colorado Springs," Sam explained. "He works for a construction company there."

The man was handsome enough with sandy brown eyes, a straight nose, and a pleasant smile. Dean stared harder. "Addy has his nose," he murmured to himself.

"I noticed that, too," Sam agreed. "I think we've found him."

"Do you have his contact info or his address?" Dean asked.

"Give me a few minutes and I will," Sam promised as he pulled the laptop towards him. The click his fingers against the keyboard filled the small room.

Addy whimpered in her sleep. Dean rose and moved to the side of the bed. "It's okay, kiddo. I'm right here," he soothed without touching her. He watched as her face scrunched up and a moan escaped her lips.

"Is she all right?" Sam asked in concern as he left the laptop and moved to his brother's side.

"I think she's having a nightmare," Dean answered.

"Maybe this would be a good time to wake her up and run to the grocery store to pick up supplies," Sam suggested. "We need more mac and cheese and some juice boxes for her. I can find the rest of the information we need when we get back."

Dean nodded in agreement. "Ads," he called softly, "time to wake up. We're going to the grocery store."

The child stirred and rolled over on her back. She blinked owlishly up at her uncles and clutched the blanket to her chest.

Sam knelt next to the bed, his heart melting as he looked into Addy's pinched, worried face. "We're going to get you some more juice and some mac and cheese. Does that sound good?"

Addy was still for a moment before she gave him a slight nod. Sam grinned at her small response and reached to the chair behind him for Addy's jacket. "Here you go," he said softly as he laid it on the bed next to the child.

When Addy had her jacket on and zipped, Dean grabbed the Impala's keys and shepherded his brother and his niece out of the motel room door. Addy allowed Sam to open the backdoor of the car for her and she climbed inside with her doll snuggled against her chest. Sam swallowed hard as he thought of the name his niece had given the doll – Melissa, after her mother.

Dean froze next to the driver's side door and glanced around the parking lot.

"What is it?" Sam asked as he opened his own door.

"Don't know," Dean answered shortly. "I just feel like we're being watched."

Sam scanned their surroundings carefully, but saw no one. "Maybe you're just on edge," Sam offered as an explanation.

"Maybe," Dean replied in a tone that said he didn't believe it for a moment.

They found a grocery store less than a mile from their motel. Dean parked the car and they walked toward the store with Addy between them, but being careful not to touch either of them. Sam felt like they were making small amounts of progress with the child. She would not have allowed them to be this close a few days ago.

Dean kept a watchful eye on the cars around them, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe he really was just on edge as Sam had suggested.

They entered the store and Sam grabbed a grocery cart. "Want a ride?" he asked Addy.

She shook her head in the negative, but remained by his side as he pushed the cart down the aisles of the store. A display of juice boxes was arranged in the front of the store. Dean chose two boxes of ten juice containers and placed them in the cart. Moving on to the fruit, he and Sam chose some grapes and apples. They had noticed Addy had liked those when they had fruit with their breakfast.

Next was the cereal aisle. Addy's eyes lit up as she spotted the Lucky Charms. She didn't touch the boxes, but looked at Dean expectantly. He smothered a grin and tossed two boxes into their cart. "You take after your Uncle Sam, kiddo. When he was your age all he wanted to eat were Lucky Charms."

Addy's eyes swung up to Sam's face and she studied him quietly a moment before she diverted her gaze.

Sam grinned at her and fought the impulse to reach out and ruffle her hair.

"What else do we need?" Dean asked his brother.

"Uh, mac and cheese," Sam thought out loud, "and some pudding cups." This shopping list would have been unimaginable for them just a few weeks ago.

Addy trailed behind the brothers as they strolled down the aisles searching for the macaroni and cheese.

"There," Sam pointed. There had apparently been a sale and only a few boxes were left scattered across the back of the shelf.

Dean bent over and pulled them out. There were three different kinds. "Which one should we get?" he asked his brother.

Sam leaned over to study the boxes. "I don't know. Maybe we should let Addy choose," he pointed out.

Dean nodded and turned to look over his shoulder. "Which ones do you want, Ads?" he asked. His eyes widened alarm when he realized the small girl was no longer standing behind him. He swung his eyes farther down the aisle expecting to see the purple jacket, but the aisle was empty. "Addy?" he bellowed as his stomach plummeted nervously.

Sam whipped around at the alarm in his brother's voice. "Where is she?"

"She was right here just a minute ago!" Dean growled. "Addy!" He dropped the boxes of macaroni and cheese into their cart and darted to the next aisle.

Sam ran in the opposite direction. As he rounded the end of the aisle, his foot slid on something and he crashed to the floor on his knees. His heart lurched in his chest when he realized he had stepped on Addy's doll. "Dean!" he bellowed.

When his brother ran frantically back to the end of the aisle, Sam held the doll above his head.

Dean cursed. "They've got her, Sam," he growled as he ran toward the front of the store.

Sam shoved the doll into his coat and ran after his brother. His heart was pounding a staccato rhythm in his chest. Not Addy. They couldn't lose Addy, not after Melissa. This little girl had only been in his life a few days, but she had already embedded herself deep in her heart.

Dean ran out of the store and skidded to a stop in the parking lot as his eyes scanned the surrounding area.

"Where are they?" Sam panted. "He couldn't have taken her very far."

A stifled cry rose up from the parking lot that extended to the right of the store. The Winchester brothers took off at a run. "You get Addy. I'll take care of the vamp," Dean instructed his brother.

Sam nodded, his mouth set in a grim line of determination. He watched as his brother ducked between the cars. Sam scanned the parking lot to see a tall, blue-hooded man ahead of him. He could see Addy held tightly in the man's arms, her feet kicking against her kidnapper angrily.

Red hot fury boiled in Sam's belly. Melissa had been taken from his family in much the same fashion; this was not going to happen to Addy. He would give his life to see that this little girl was safe. Sam barreled forward, his yell catching the vampire's attention.

Dean chose that moment to dive toward the vampire. Addy screamed as the vamp dropped her onto the blacktop and turned on Dean.

Sam scooped Addy up and held her close. He felt her small hands clutching at him desperately as she buried her face against his neck. Hot tears dampened his skin, and Sam pressed a kiss to the child's temple. "It's okay; I've got you," her murmured into her blonde hair. He held her tighter as she trembled violently against him.

Sam watched, ready to go to his brother's aid, as Dean brandished a knife against the vampire. "You killed my sister," Dean spat at the creature before him.

The vampire bared his fangs and his eyes narrowed under dark sunglasses as he stared at the eldest Winchester brother. "And I will kill you and your brother and take the little girl to become one of us," he sneered.

Dean lunged forward with the knife and managed to spear the vampire in the stomach. The vampire laughed and reached for Dean's neck, choking him. The knife fell with a clatter to the pavement.

"Dean!" Sam screamed. "Addy, get behind that car and don't come out," he told the little girl as he placed her on the ground. Once he was sure she was safe, Sam snatched his knife from its sheath and ran forward to his brother's aid.

The vampire released Dean and reached for Sam, but Sam swung his knife forward and sliced across the vampire's cheek. Addy screamed when the vampire grasped Sam and flung him backwards across the blacktop.

Running footsteps approached and there was shouting. Before Dean could register what had happened, the vampire was gone. He gasped for breath and looked frantically around for Addy even as he grasped the knife and shoved it back into its hiding place.

Sam, still a bit dazed, was crawling across the pavement toward a nearby car. Dean stumbled in that direction.

A sobbing Addy threw herself into Sam's arms as he drew near. He fell back against the car and drew the child into a tight embrace. "He's gone," he murmured. "It's okay now."

Addy's hands clawed frantically at him until she could bury her face in his shoulder.

"Is she all right?" Dean asked as he sank to his knees beside his brother and his niece. Reaching out a hand, he tentatively ran it over Addy's tangled blonde tresses.

"I don't know," Sam admitted as he surveyed the trembling child in his arms.

"Is everything okay here?" a store employee asked suspiciously.

Dean looked up to see that quite a crowd had gathered around them. "Some jerk just tried to abduct my niece," he spat. "Right in broad daylight!"

The store employee looked startled. "I'll call the cops."

"No, no, we're calling them now," Dean assured him as he tugged out his cell phone.

The crowd dispersed slowly and once they were gone Sam pushed Addy away from him gently. "Are you hurt, Addy?" he asked tenderly.

She sniffled and hiccupped, her little face red and blotchy. She held out her hands to show him her bleeding palms, which had scraped against the pavement.

Sam's heart lurched. He took one palm and then the other, placing gentle kisses on her wounds. "Uncle Dean and I will get you all cleaned up when we get to the motel. How are your knees?"

"I think she skinned them," Dean murmured, nodding down at the blood that covered the knees of the child's new jeans.

"Can you get up?" Dean asked his brother.

"If you can take Addy," Sam replied, shifting uncomfortably on the hard ground.

Dean reached out his arms for the child, and to his shock, Addy went to him willingly. He held her close and felt her thin arms wind around his neck. Taking the opportunity, Dean stroked a hand over her blonde hair. "Hey, kiddo, it's all going to be all right. Uncle Sam and I are going to take good care of you."

Addy rested her head on his shoulder and sniffled as she took in a shuddering breath.

Sam rose to his feet with a grunt; he could tell he was going to have some aches and pains as a result of his impact with the pavement. "Hey, Addy, I found something that belongs to you." Reaching into his coat, he produced her doll.

With a glad cry, the child stretched out both hands and grabbed her doll, pulling it tightly to her chest.

Dean grinned. "There you go, Addy. She's back where she belongs, just like you are."

Addy curled back against him as she sniffled.

"Let's get you back to the motel, kiddo," Dean soothed. He and Sam walked to the front of the store to where they had parked the Impala. Dean tried to untangle Addy from his arms, but she didn't want to let go.

"I'll sit in the back with her," Sam offered. He scrunched his long legs into the backseat.

"Can Uncle Sam sit with you while I drive?" Dean asked the quivering child in his arms.

Addy thought for a moment before she nodded. Soon the child was buckled in, but tucked safely beneath her Uncle Sam's arm. She leaned against him, her little body taught with nerves.

Sam stared down at his niece as Dean put the car in gear and backed out of the parking spot. He reached out and gently tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. Addy looked up at him, and Sam gave her an encouraging smile. Addy burrowed closer into his side, her small hand clutching the front of his jacket tightly.

Sam felt an ache start deep in his chest. He wished that he could have known his sister. He wondered how much of Melissa's personality was in Addy; maybe the child wasn't anything like her mother.

It only took a few minutes to reach the hotel, and Sam was pulled from his thoughts when Dean parked the car in front of their room. Sam unbuckled Addy's seatbelt. She latched herself onto him as he helped her out of the car, so he lifted her and carried her inside their room. Dean followed closely behind them.

Sam sat on the edge of his bed with Addy in his lap. She didn't want to let go of him. Her tiny fingers had a vice grip on his arm.

Dean knelt in front of them. "Would you like a warm bath, Addy? It would give me a chance to clean up your boo boos and you can get all comfy in your pajamas."

The child looked at Sam briefly before giving Dean a small nod.

Dean grinned. "Great, Ads. You stay with Uncle Sam and I'll run some warm bath water for you." He found the little girl's pajamas and headed into the bathroom.

Sam appeared in the doorway a few moments later with Addy on his hip. "Ready?" he asked.

Dean nodded. "Sure, the water's all ready."

Sam knelt and placed Addy on her feet. "Can you take your clothes off by yourself?" he asked gently.

She nodded and slipped out of her shirt and then her jeans. Addy gasped as the denim material brushed her sore knees.

"I'm sorry, Addy," Sam apologized. "I know your knees must hurt. We have some cream in our first aid kit that will make them feel better."

Dean lifted Addy into the tub, and to both brothers' surprise, she let him wash her gently. He lathered her hair with shampoo and used one of the room's coffee cups to rinse the soap from her hair. When she was all clean, he lifted her out of the bath with a towel and sat on the toilet seat with her on his lap.

Sam had found the first aid kit and showed Addy the cream he was going to put on her knees. "It doesn't burn," he assured her. "Uncle Dean and I use it all the time."

Addy nodded sleepily and leaned back against Dean as Sam tenderly smeared cream on her wounds and covered them with bandages. He checked her hands next. Although they were still red, they were not bleeding and didn't need to be covered.

Sam helped tug Addy's pajama top over her head and soon she was completely dressed. Dean lifted her and carried her to his bed where he situated her in front of him and attacked the tangles in her hair with a brush. Addy sat still and let him work as she stifled her frequent yawns.

"Are you sleepy?" he asked gently.

She nodded and watched with tired eyes as Dean stood up and pulled the covers back on his bed. He helped her climb beneath them and then tucked the blankets beneath her chin. "Uncle Sam and I aren't going anywhere," he promised her. "You're safe."

Dean turned to go clean up the bathroom, but a small hand grabbed his sleeve and tugged. Dean looked back in surprise to see Addy staring up at him with wide, scared eyes. She pulled on his arm once again.

"Do you want me to sit with you until you fall asleep?" he asked.

She nodded and seemed to relax once Dean had stretched out beside her on the bed. Once he was settled, she shifted until she was beneath his arm. Dean exchanged an amazed smile with his brother.

"Sleep well, Ads," Dean soothed. "I'll be here when you wake up." He watched as his niece drifted off to sleep and promised himself that no matter what it took that vampire would never get near Addy ever again.


	7. Chapter 6

**I'm trying a new posting schedule for Wednesdays and Saturdays, so I can spread the updates out a bit :) Anyway, hope you are still enjoying, thank so much for all the lovely reviews everyone has given. AnastaziaDanielle and I are always appreciative :) More fluff in this chapter, so I hope you approve!**

**This chapter was written by: LadyWallace**

Chapter Six

Dean glanced over at Addy's sleeping form from where he sat at the small table with Sam, eating a quick dinner of cereal. Lucky Charms were just as good as he remembered. He hadn't wanted to risk going out for food in case the vamp was waiting for them. It went against all his hunter training not to go gank the thing without a second thought, but any risk to him or Sam was also a risk to Addy, and he wasn't going to take that risk. Not after almost losing her today already.

He dropped the spoon back into his bowl, his appetite suddenly disappearing. Sam glanced at him over the table, his eyes meeting his older brother's.

"We'll get this thing soon, Dean, I promise."

"Oh, I know we will," Dean told him in a no-nonsense voice. "Because I'm gonna gank it myself. If he thinks he can get away with killing my big sister and trying to kidnap her daughter to make into a blood-sucker, then he's got another think coming." His fist clenched on the tabletop, though he tried to keep his anger at bay for fear of disturbing Addy. She had gone through enough today, he didn't want to upset her anymore than she already was.

"At least she seems to be trusting us more, though," Sam mused as he reached for Dean's bowl and carried them to the sink.

"That's the only good thing that's come out of this so far." Dean reached over to pick up the info they had found earlier about Aiden Richards, Addy's father. He knew it was their duty to find him, but at the same time, he didn't want to. Part of him—a big part—wanted nothing more than to quit the life, settle down and raise Addy himself. Let Sam go back to school; maybe eventually both of them would get married and have kids of their own. But a part of him just as big was laughing, telling him how foolish that would be. Not even to hope for it because it could never be that easy. Winchesters were cursed, and even if he tried it, he knew something would go wrong eventually, and they'd be back at square one.

But still, the thought of giving Addy up hurt worse the more he thought about it. He couldn't believe that they'd just known her for less than a week now. It seemed like so much longer. He loved the little girl so much, and he could tell Sam felt the same. Having a niece was something he never thought would happen, and now, even if nothing turned out for him and Sam, if they never got the lives they wanted to have, they would still have Addy, and if they could find her father and he was worthy of her, then, wonder of wonders, she might even have a shot at a real life.

But first they would have to kill the vamp who was threating that.

Addy whimpered and Dean was at her side instantly, tucking her blankets tighter around her and stroking her cheek tenderly.

"Shh, Addy, it's all right, Uncle Dean's here," he murmured. As an afterthought, he started signing "Hey Jude" like his mother did to him when he was little. He wondered if Mary had sung it to Melissa as well. It seemed to calm Addy in any case.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked him with a bemused smile and Dean turned around to glare at him.

"Calming here down, dimwit, what's it look like?" He got up self-consciously but saw that Sam's eyes were sad.

"She's going to grow up without a mom just like us, Dean," he said.

"She'll be fine," Dean replied gently, still looking at the sleeping girl. He turned to smile fondly at his little brother, reaching up to tug at his shaggy hair. "We did all right."

Sam huffed a laugh. "Yeah, we did awesome, Dean."

"Oh, don't be such a pessimist," Dean grumbled fondly as he reached for his sweatpants to get changed for bed.

"You're right," Sam said smirking. "I had an awesome big brother."

"Of course, I'm right," Dean returned.

"Seriously though, Dean," Sam said, his eyes softening. "I don't know if I could have done it without you."

"Okay, Samantha, enough of the chick flick moment," Dean told him, turning to the bathroom to hide his smile, hearing Sam's snort behind him.

Maybe Addy would actually grow up okay. The first Winchester ever to do so. It would be a marvel. But that and vampire hunting would have to wait until they got a few hours of sleep. He was exhausted.

* * *

><p><em>The next morning,<em> Sam got up first and left Dean snoring in the bed while he showered and dressed. He went back out to the room to find Addy awake, rubbing her eyes. He smiled at her.

"Hey, Addy, I was just about to go get some breakfast. Do you know what you might like?"

He reached for the Impala's keys on the table and was about to ask Addy again, curious to see if she would respond, when she jumped out of bed and ran to grab his hand. He was so surprised that he nearly stumbled back. "You want to come?" he asked with a smile.

Addy nodded, and he reached over to pull her jacket from off the back of the chair. "Put this on then. You can stay in your pajamas if you want."

They went to the donut shop across the street and Addy picked out her own donut—chocolate with sprinkles—while Sam, knowing Dean would want meat, ordered breakfast sandwiches for them. The cashier smiled at Addy as she handed her the donut bag. "Enjoy, sweetie," she said before smiling up at Sam. Sam nearly laughed to himself. It was funny how different people regarded you when you had an adorable little girl around. No one seemed to think he and Dean were up to no good when they had Addy. Not that he was going to suggest it to other hunters or anything, but it was pretty funny.

Dean was just waking up when Sam and Addy came back to the room. She took the bag from Sam and offered it to Dean as he sat up.

"Oh, hey, Addy," Dean said, surprised as he smiled. "You brought me breakfast in bed, eh?"

She almost smiled and Dean grinned back encouragingly as he got up and went to the table where Sam had coffee.

Dean watched Addy eat, happy to see that she seemed to have more of an appetite that day; or maybe that was just him. He wondered if she would start talking again soon. He hoped so. That would mean she had finally started to heal.

After breakfast, Addy got dressed and retrieved her brush. She sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair, before she turned to Dean and held out the brush for him, along with the rubber bands that Sarah had put into her hair the day before.

Dean gave her a bemused look. "You want me to do your hair?" he asked as he got up and took the brush from her, sitting on the bed behind her. "Okay, but I can't promise it will look good." He brushed the tangles out before attempting pigtails. Sam smirked at his brother shamelessly as he watched Dean's tongue stick out the side of his mouth as he fashioned two slightly lopsided ponytails on either side of Addy's head.

"There you go, kiddo," Dean told her, tugging one fondly as she hopped down from the bed and went to the bag of things they had brought back for her from the apartment the day before. Dean went back over to Sam who had booted up the laptop to do some research.

"I'd like to go hunting today, but I think we need to figure out what we need to about Addy's father first," Dean told Sam and his younger brother nodded.

"I think maybe we should go to the station to bring them the information we found," Sam told him. "Then we can see what Officer Hale has found on the murder as well. Kind of make sure we won't be crossing paths."

Dean nodded in agreement. He went to take a shower and get dressed and when he was done, he called to Addy.

"Hey, Ads, we gotta go run some errands. We can go get some ice cream after, okay?"

Addy jumped up, tucking her doll into the front pocket of her jacket, and followed Sam and Dean out to the car, lopsided ponytails bobbing. Dean hid a smile at the sight, his heart warming uncontrollably. He was so going soft.

On the ride there, Sam got a call from Karen, telling them she had made the funeral arrangements for Melissa and wondering when the best day would be.

"Maybe next week sometime?" Sam suggested. "Friday?"

"That should give you enough time to get things settled," Karen told him in confirmation. "I thought if you would like to come for dinner tonight you could bring me papers from the police. Then Addy can play with Sarah while we figure it out."

"Sounds good," Sam said. "Thank you so much, Karen."

"Any time, Sam," she replied softly before he hung up.

Dean looked over at his brother, "Well?"

"Karen invited us over for dinner tonight," Sam told him.

"Okay," Dean replied. "That should work out fine."

They made it to the station soon after and Sam grabbed the folder of papers before he got out. Dean opened the door for Addy, and smiled at her.

"Come on in, Addy, this shouldn't take too long."

She seemed reluctant, and clutched her doll tighter to her chest. Dean offered her his hand but she declined it like she used to. He frowned, hoping the police station wasn't bringing back too many bad memories for her. He followed Sam in and went to the front desk, greeted with a curt smile from the young man working there.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Dean Winchester," the elder brother told him. "My brother and I came to see Officer Hale about the case involving our sister."

The man nodded, picking up the phone and making a swift call to Hale's office, announcing their arrival. "If you'll follow me, he'll see you now."

They followed the young man, Addy sticking close to the brothers as they went through the busy offices. Their guide knocked on one door before opening it and letting them inside.

"This is Dean and Sam Winchester, Officer," he announced.

"Thank you, O'Gorman. Come in," Hale told them.

"Officer Hale, do you have someone who can look after Addy?" Sam asked quickly, not wanting Addy to hear anything that would upset her.

Hale saw the little girl, mostly hidden behind Sam, for the first time and nodded in understanding. "O'Gorman, can you find someone to look after her?"

"Of course, come on, Addy," the young man said and reached for the little girl's hand. She pulled back, grabbing the tail of Sam's jacket.

"Addy, it's all right," Sam told her reassuringly. "Go with the officer."

She looked frantically between the brothers even as she allowed herself to be led away. Dean tried to smile at her reassuringly but he was worried she might have another lapse and get set back to the beginning again. But he had to take care of business first and the quicker they did that, the quicker they could get back to Addy. He and Sam took seats in front of the desk and Officer Hale leaned forward to speak with them.

"How is she?" he asked.

Dean shrugged. "As well as can be expected. She's gotten a bit better since she came to us. But she's still having a tough time." He didn't mention the near kidnapping the day before.

Hale nodded. "I can understand it would take a while. What she went through, damn, I hate to think of a child having to see that." He shook his head. "I'm very sorry about your sister, boys. My men and I are doing everything we can to find the murderer."  
>"And how is that going?" Sam asked.<p>

Hale sighed deeply. "We're still looking. Haven't had much luck so far, I'm afraid. The only lead we have is the blood on the knife your sister stabbed him with during the attack. But it brought up no DNA matches."

The brothers nodded secretly relieved they had no leads. That would leave the hunting ground wide open for them. Sam motioned to the folder he had brought. "We found Addy's birth certificate, and did a little research into her father. We thought you might like to see it."

Hale took the folder and looked through the papers, nodding. "We were about to check out this angle. Bring him in for routine questioning."  
>"You think he's a suspect?" Dean asked quickly. Sam shot him a look.<p>

Hale shook his head. "Not really, but it's routine. You do realize that he has legal custody of Addy, don't you? As her father. The only reason she ended up with you is because we couldn't find him."  
>Dean nodded, his fist clenching against his thigh. "We're aware of that. But we're not just going to give Addy to him until we make sure he's right for the job."<br>Hale nodded. "I appreciate that. But you should be ready to take it to court if it comes to a custody fight, and you'll need hard evidence."

"I know how it goes, I went to law school," Sam said, his own jaw clenching slightly at the thought of fighting for Addy to go to a good home.

"Then you know what you're getting into," Hale said. "Not saying it will go like that, of course, but just making sure you're ready if it does. We can hope he's a good guy who will give Addy a good home."

"Yeah, we can hope," Dean said.

They discussed a few more things and then Hale handed the papers back to Sam as they stood up.

"That's all we can do for now. I'll get back to you once we check out Richards, in the meantime, if you need anything else, just call."

"Thank you," Dean said, shaking the officer's hand. "Now we just have to go find Addy."  
>He and Sam wandered back to the lobby and were looking around for someone who could tell them where Addy was when a scream broke the silence.<p>

"No!"

Dean and Sam whirled around, seeing their niece tugging her hand from the hold of a female police officer who was shocked to see her reaction. "Uncle Dean! Don't leave!"

Dean was so shocked to hear Addy talk and say his name that he just stood there with his mouth open. In that time, Addy finally got free from the officer's grip and ran to the two brothers, throwing herself at Dean and wrapping her arms around his leg, making him stagger slightly.

"Hey, princess, what's all this?" he asked, running his hand over her hair. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

She was crying and she looked up at him with a sniff. Dean reached down and picked her up, smiling into her face.

"See? You're coming with us! I told you we would get ice cream, didn't I? You're stuck with your uncles whether you like it or not, why would you think we'd leave you?" He reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She sniffed.

"Thought you'd brought me back," Addy murmured as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Dean hugged her tighter as Sam leaned over to kiss the top of her head, smiling reassuringly. "Nope, you're sticking with us, kiddo. Now come on, I want some ice cream too."

Dean felt guilty that Addy would have thought they'd leave her at the police station. He guessed all the moving from one station to the next when they were trying to track down Sam and Dean on the tail end of her mother's murder had really done some more damage than he and Sam originally thought. Hopefully she realized now that they weren't going to leave her though.

She didn't talk again for the rest of the afternoon, but Dean knew it would come back eventually. It had been a start earlier. He knew she would talk if she wanted to. She did pick out a book from her things and crawled onto the bed next to Sam as he was researching on the laptop and set it in his lap. He grinned and set the computer aside to pull Addy onto his lap and read her the book. Dean smiled at his niece and younger brother. He remembered Sammy at that age always wanting Dean to read to him. On good days, they would go to the library and sit for hours reading. It was a good babysitter for John and no one had ever seemed to disturb the young boy reading to his little brother.

At about five, they got ready to go to Karen's house for dinner and Dean was glad to see the happy look that came over Addy when he told her they were going to visit Sarah again. It was good to know she had a friend.

The dinner was pleasant, and Dean and Sam met Karen's husband, who was just as kind and accommodating as his wife. They figured out all the arraignments for Melissa's funeral and exchanged the proper papers and set a date. Dean only wished they had more money to do something special, but he knew, well, he figured, that Melissa would rather the little money they had go to Addy's care. At least she would get a grave. No one was there to insist upon a hunter's funeral.

Addy played with Sarah until they had to leave. It was almost after ten when they left the house and Dean knew it was time to get Addy to bed. They got her into the bath once they got back to the motel room, and she crawled into bed soon after, falling asleep almost instantly. Dean smiled as he tucked her in, leaning over to kiss her hair. Yep, he was definitely going soft.

It was later after they had turned the lights out and Sam was snoring softly at Dean's back, that the elder Winchester was woken by a sniffling and thrashing sound. He blinked blearily and began to reach for the lamp, when he heard someone shift and felt a tug on his blanket.

"Addy?" he whispered.

She sniffed in reply and there was more tugging before a small, warm body pressed against his chest. A wet cheek settled against his collarbone and a small hand grabbed his t-shirt in a death grip. He chuckled softly and wrapped one arm around the narrow shoulders.

"Okay, Addy, don't worry. Uncle Dean will keep the monsters away."

She sniffed once more and snuggled closer. Dean smiled fondly, kissing her forehead before he closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.


	8. Chapter 7

**Another chapter for you! Hope you're all still enjoying this story, and I hope your weekend has been good so far. Is everyone ready for Thanksgiving yet? **

**This Chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle**

*****Disclaimer: Bad Kitty belongs to Nick Bruel.**

Chapter Seven

When Dean woke the next morning, he could hear the shower running in the bathroom and knew Sam was already up. Addy was still curled against his chest, her breath blowing against his neck in rhythmic puffs. Dean pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and stayed still, hesitant to interrupt the little girl's sleep.

"Uncle Dean," she mumbled against him as she shifted beneath the covers.

"Good morning, kiddo," he smiled, brushing her blonde hair back from her face.

Addy squirmed until she could push up on one elbow. She glanced over to Sam's side of the bed and then her eyes slid to the bathroom door where the shower just shut off.

"Uncle Sam's having a shower and then we'll decide what we're doing today," Dean explained. "Are you ready to get dressed?"

Addy nodded and slid reluctantly from the warmth of the covers.

Dean groaned as he rolled out of bed, but dressed himself and then helped Addy into her jeans and a sweatshirt.

Sam emerged from the bathroom ready to face the day. He grinned when he saw Addy up and about. "I was thinking we could go out for breakfast this morning. I saw a great diner down the street. What do you think, Addy? Would you like some pancakes?" He knelt down in front of her so he didn't feel like such a towering giant.

Addy nodded eagerly and ran to find her doll. Sam held out a hand to her as Dean shrugged into his leather jacket. Addy took Sam's hand with no sign of resistance and walked obediently beside him to the Impala. She buckled herself into the backseat and Dean drove them the short distance to the diner.

After a breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs for Addy and sausage, bacon, and eggs for the boys, they paid for their breakfast and walked back out to the car.

Addy tugged on Dean's hand urgently until he looked down at her.

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" he asked somewhat nervously.

She shook her head. "Can we play?" she asked quietly, pointing to the small playground across the street.

Dean looked over to see a slide, a swing set, and a seesaw next to a picnic shelter. He glanced at Sam who nodded with a small smile. "All right, for a few minutes," he agreed.

Addy jumped up and down as she hugged her doll tightly.

"Hold my hand while we cross the street," Dean told her.

Upon reaching the park, Addy ran to the slide. She climbed up the steps and slid down with her doll in her lap. Sam clapped for her as she reached the bottom. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the swings. "Will you push me?" she asked almost shyly as she released his hand.

"Absolutely, princess," he grinned. "Which swing do you want?"

Addy ran to the first swing and climbed up onto it gingerly. Sam pushed her slowly at first and then higher when she grinned happily at him.

Dean settled himself on a bench next to the seesaw and tugged out his cell phone once Sam had Addy occupied. He dialed his dad's familiar number and waited for the voicemail to pick up. "Hi, Dad; it's Dean. I…uh….just wanted to let you know that Melissa's friend planned a memorial service for her tomorrow here at Park's Funeral Home in Denver. It's at eleven tomorrow morning. Sam and I will have Addy there with us. You could meet your granddaughter. Bye, Dad."

Dean clicked the end button and looked up. "Sam, we should be getting back," Dean called out from his place on the bench.

Sam grabbed the swing's chain and slowed Addy to a stop. The little girl frowned and shuffled slowly toward Dean.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" he asked as she leaned against his legs.

Dean reached out and brushed her hair back out of her face.

"Mommy," she whispered. "We always played tag at the park."

After a quick glance at Sam, Dean swung Addy around before planting her on her feet. "Then let's play a quick game before we leave. I'm it!"

Sam joined in with a grin. "Run, Addy!"

With a squeal, Addy darted away from Dean and ran to hide behind Sam. "You can't get me, Uncle Dean!" she called.

"Here I come, Ads!" he yelled as her raced toward her.

Addy ran as fast as her little legs would carry her, so Dean turned his focus onto Sam. "I'm gonna get you, Sammy!" Dean yelled as he lunged for his brother.

Sam darted out of the way with a laugh. "Gettin' slow in your old age, Dean!" he prodded with a smirk.

Addy ran by Dean and he reached out and tagged her. "Gotcha, kiddo! Now you're it."

She giggled and brushed her blonde hair back out of her face before taking off to chase Sam. He purposely slowed down so she could tag the back of his jacket. "I got you, Uncle Sammy!" she called out triumphantly.

Sam's breath caught in his throat. It was the first time Addy had called him by name. He scooped his giggling niece up into his arms and tipped her upside down. She shrieked with laughter. Sam gazed down into the little girl's smiling face. He loved his niece so much with an overwhelming, all-encompassing love.

"Can't get away from that name, can you, Sammy?" Dean smirked.

"Uncle Sammy!" Addy called out as she squirmed in his grasp.

The name made his heart leap in his chest; as long as it was Addy calling him Sammy, then he didn't mind at all. Sam pulled her up into his arms and began to tickle her. She squealed and wiggled against him. When Sam stopped his tickle assault, she reached out and tried to tickle him with her small fingers.

He laughed and held her tightly. "Hmm, maybe I need to turn into the tickle monster again," he growled playfully.

Dean leaned over and placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath after their rousing game of tag. Neither he nor Sam had been this relaxed in a long time, and Dean could already feel the tension building in him once again. He watched as his brother played happily with Addy. Both of them seemed so happy for the moment. His heart ached. This was what he wanted for Addy and Sam all of the time. Perhaps he should offer Sam an out if Addy's father couldn't raise her. The thought made his stomach twist with loneliness, but Sam could raise Addy as his daughter and Dean could continue hunting on his own.

"Time to go," he called after clearing his throat.

Sam settled Addy onto his hip and walked toward his brother.

Dean studied the pair before him. Sam's cheeks were flushed from running, but a smile wreathed his face. Addy had one arm wrapped around Sam's neck and the other hugged her doll. Her nose and cheeks were pink from playing and from the chill in the air. Her eyes were still sad, but a small smile still lingered on her lips. Dean was suddenly struck by how much some of the child's mannerisms were like Sam's. A lump formed in his throat and he knew without a doubt that he would offer Sam the chance to raise Addy. The two of them would make the perfect pair. He swallowed hard and led the way to the car.

The afternoon was spent purchasing clothes to wear to Melissa's memorial service. Dean and Sam helped Addy pick out a black dress with a sparkly skirt to wear along with a black headband to go in her hair. Both boys had to blink back tears when Addy declared that she was going to look beautiful for her mommy.

When they returned to the hotel room, Dean fixed Addy some mac and cheese for supper and then gave her a bath before tugging her pajamas over her head. When Addy padded out of the bathroom in her lavender sleep socks, she grabbed her new book from her bag and carried it to Sam where he sat on his bed with the laptop in his lap.

"Uncle Sammy, will you read to me?" she asked around a yawn.

"Sure, kiddo," he smiled, his heart flipping at the sound of his name on the child's lips. "Climb on up."

Addy clambered up onto the bed and waited for Sam to set the laptop aside before she curled up into his lap and opened "Bad Kitty." She giggled as Sam read about Bad Kitty biting grandma and clawing the vet. Before the book was finished, Addy was sleeping soundly against Sam's chest.

He put the book to the side and pressed a kiss into Addy's blonde hair. "She's so amazing, Dean," he murmured to his brother. "I keep thinking that the only way we're going to get to know Melissa is through Addy."

"Yeah," Dean answered, watching as Sam gently slid Addy off of his lap and eased her onto the bed beside him. She curled up in a ball and let Sam cover her with a blanket. Dean was more certain than ever that Sam should stop hunting and raise Addy if her father could not be found.

"Listen, Sam," he began, as he sat on the edge of the other bed and rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

Sam stiffened and his hands froze in mid-air as he reached once again for the laptop. He knew from the tone of Dean's voice that his brother was bringing up something serious.

"I was thinking," Dean hesitated as if gathering his thoughts before he continued, "what if you took a break from hunting for a while? You could raise Addy and give her the stable life she deserves."

Sam's eyes widened at his brother's words. He stared at Dean and his mouth opened and closed before he finally sputtered, "Where did that come from?"

"Look, you and Addy are great together. I was watching you at the park today. You make her laugh; she trusts you."

"I'm not leaving you to hunt alone, Dean; we've got to get this thing that killed Mom."

"Sam, Addy needs you, and you've always wanted a normal life. This is your chance to get out. You can find a job and raise Addy, maybe even find a wife who fits into the picture."

Sam's mouth flattened into a grim line. "No, Dean, I'm not leaving you to hunt alone, especially since Dad isn't around to help you. It's too dangerous! And this demon – it will kill you."

Dean rose and began to pace back and forth. "Why won't you ever listen to reason, Sam?" he spat at his brother.

"Well, you're putting the cart before the horse!" Sam retorted hotly. "How do you know we won't find Aidan Richards? He might be a perfectly respectable guy that wants to raise his daughter."

"I'm not leaving our niece with just anyone, Sam!" Dean argued back. "Chances are he left Melissa alone to raise Addy." He stopped his pacing and planted his hands on his hips as he faced his younger brother. "I want you to leave, Sam! I want you to have the life you deserve and be happy!" His voice had risen to a shout.

"And you don't think you deserve happiness?" Sam argued back as he jolted to his feet.

The noise woke Addy. She sat up with a start and looked wide-eyed between her uncles. "Stop," she cried as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She clapped her hands over her ears and drew her knees up to her chest.

Sam felt awful when he realized they'd awakened Addy and scared her. He dropped to the bed and pulled the little girl into his arms. "I'm so sorry, princess," he murmured as he held her close. "We didn't mean to wake you up."

She sniffled and wiped at her tears as she pressed her damp face against Sam's neck and cuddled close. "Why do you want Uncle Sammy to go away?" she hiccupped as she chanced a look at Dean.

"No, no, Addy," Dean murmured as he moved to sit on the bed beside Sam, "I don't want him to go away, not at all."

"Then why did you tell him to leave?" she hiccupped as she wiped at her tears with her hand.

"Because I want him to be happy, and I know he would be happy if he had a different job, that's all," Dean assured her.

Addy studied him for a moment before she twisted in Sam's arms so she could look up into his face. "Do you want to go away?" she sniffled.

"No, Addy," Sam reassured her and he watched her face relax at his words. "I want to stay here with Uncle Dean."

"And me?" she asked as her fingers began to twist nervously in her pajamas.

"And you," he assured her with a kiss to her forehead.

"Can I get a hug now?" Dean asked with a pout. "You're giving Uncle Sammy all of your attention."

Addy managed a small smile before she crawled out of Sam's lap and over to Dean. "Are you sure you won't make Uncle Sammy go away?" she whispered.

Dean stroked a hand over the child's head. "I want him to do whatever makes him happy, Addy."

She thought that over for a minute and nodded before she curled up against him and tangled her fingers in his shirt. "I'm sleepy," she yawned.

"Then go back to sleep, kiddo; I've gotcha."

Dean woke the next morning with Addy cuddled against him, her fingers grasping his t-shirt. "What time is it?" he whispered, hearing Sam moving around the room quietly.

"You can sleep a little longer," his brother murmured in response. "We still have a few hours before we have to be at the funeral home."

"I don't want to wake Addy," Dean whispered, brushing a kiss to the child's blonde hair.

"I'll go get breakfast. Let her sleep a little longer," Sam told him as he shrugged into his jacket and grabbed the keys to the Impala from the desk.

When Sam returned, Dean was in the shower and Addy was curled up on his brother's pillow watching cartoons. "Hungry, Addy?" he asked.

She nodded and scooted off of the bed to join him at the table. "Didja get cinnamon buns, Uncle Sammy?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned. "I asked for the biggest one just for you, princess."

Addy smiled. "Me and Mommy used to get a bun sometimes when she had extra money. We would split one." Her smile dropped and her face became sad.

Sam tugged her into his lap and held her close. "Tell me more about your mommy, Addy," he murmured. "What else did she like to eat?"

Addy cuddled against him and pulled tiny pieces off her bun and put them in her mouth before responding. "She liked pepp'oni on her pizza. She would pick them off of mine. And she liked salads." Addy wrinkled her nose at the thought.

Sam smiled even as his heart ached. There were so many things he wished he knew about his sister. Maybe Karen could tell them more about her if they could find the time later. "What was her favorite color?" he asked his niece.

"Mommy liked yellow like the sun. She said it made her happy."

"Yellow is a happy color," Sam agreed as he took a sip of his coffee.

Dean exited the bathroom then, dressed in sweats and ruffling his damp hair with a towel. "Coffee," he grumbled.

"Right here," Sam called out.

"Good," Dean groaned as he sank into the chair across from his brother and reached for his coffee. "Are you okay, kiddo?" he asked Addy.

She nodded. "I thought about Mommy and I got sad."

Sam hugged her and rested his cheek on her head as Dean's brow creased in worry.

"You know," Dean began softly, "we are going to something called a memorial service for your mom today."

"What's a m'orial service?" Addy asked with a frown.

"It's a special time when people get together to remember your mom," Sam explained. "They might bring flowers and tell stories about her. We have to sit still and listen while people talk, okay?"

Addy nodded, but then asked, "Can I take flowers to mommy?"

"Sure, Ads," Dean assured her.

"Will my mommy be there?" Addy asked excitedly, her eyes flashing with hope. "Is she all better now? Can I go home with her?"

Dean exchanged a horrified look with his brother. Sam shifted Addy in his lap so that he could look into her face. "Addy," he began softly, "your mom was hurt very badly by the mean man. She was hurt too badly to live, princess. Your mommy died."

Addy's eyes welled with tears. "And she can't ever, ever come back?" she asked in a whimper.

"No, Addy," Sam choked out as his voice thickened with tears of his own.

Addy buried her face in his chest as Sam tightened his arms around her as she sobbed. The youngest Winchester brother felt hot tears running down his own cheeks as he mourned for his sister. His heart ached with sadness for the young child in his arms who was too young to truly understand what had happened.

Dean moved to kneel beside his brother's chair and placed a comforting hand on Addy's back until her sobs stopped. His jaw had tightened and he found himself having to swallow around the huge lump that had formed in his throat.

Once Addy's tears had subsided, they half-heartedly finished breakfast and then Dean helped Addy into her new dress before brushing out her blonde hair until it shown like the sun. He slipped her new headband into her hair and then let her look in the mirror. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I wish Mommy could see my new dress," she whispered as tears filled her eyes.

"Me, too," Dean replied.

"Dean, we have to get ready or we'll be late," Sam urged him quietly.

The brothers dressed quickly in the new pants, button down shirts, and ties they'd bought the day before. Dean grabbed the keys to the car. "Come on, Addy. We need to leave now if we're going to stop and get some flowers."

Addy ran to the bed and grabbed her doll before she scurried to Dean's side.

They stopped at a nearby store and Addy chose some flowers she thought her mom would have liked. They were a bright, sunny yellow. When they arrived at the funeral home, Addy insisted on carrying them inside by herself.

Sam and Dean flanked her on either side as they left the car and walked toward the building. Dean fought the urge to swoop the child into his arms and hold her tight. Instead, he busied himself with scanning the area for any sign of the vamp that wanted to take Addy. On Addy's other side, Sam was doing the same thing.

When they entered the building, Dean knelt beside Addy. "Stay right beside me or Uncle Sammy, okay?" he asked. "It's very important."

The little girl nodded silently, her eyes huge and solemn. She allowed Dean to take her hand and lead her into the funeral home's small chapel.

Karen spotted them immediately and hurried forward to wrap Addy in a warm embrace. "Hello, Addy. Sarah will be excited that you are here. She's with her dad in the hallway at the water fountain. She'll be back in a moment."

Addy pressed against Dean's leg and nodded as she gazed around the room. A few small groups of people gathered together talking in soft tones.

Dean suppressed a growl as he heard murmurs of Melissa's murder. He felt Sam's hand on his arm cautioning him to hold his temper.

Karen smiled. "I can introduce you to some of Mel's friends if you like," she offered. "The women over there," she nodded toward a huddle of three middle-aged women, "they worked with your sister and thought very highly of her. And over there," she glanced toward the opposite direction, "is our friend Callie and her sister Kirsten. Callie could always make Mel laugh with her silly jokes." Karen managed a watery smile. "I miss her so much," she sighed as she hurriedly brushed away a tear.

"Maybe, if you have time later, you could tell us more about her," Sam said softly. "I understand if you'd rather not, but-"

"I'd like to, Sam; it makes me feel closer to Melissa to talk about her. She would want you to know about her and her life, Addy's life."

Sam nodded and swallowed hard.

Addy tugged on Dean's hand. "Where do I put Mommy's flowers?" she whispered.

Dean could no longer fight the urge to hold his niece; he swept her up onto his hip. "I think maybe up front," he told her, nodding toward the closed coffin at the front of the chapel.

"Is Mommy in that box?' Addy whispered, pressing her cheek to Dean's.

"Her body is in there, but remember that Mommy died. Her soul has gone on now."

"I want my mommy back," Addy began to sob. She buried her face against Dean's neck and cried so hard that her shoulders shook. The flowers were smashed against Dean's chest.

Sam reached out and took them from his niece. Together, the Winchester brothers walked toward the front of the chapel and stopped in front of the coffin.

Sam placed his hand on the cool, smooth, wooden box. "Hey, Melissa," he cleared his throat. "Me and Dean, we'll take good care of Addy. You don't need to worry about her. I….uhhh….I wish we could have known you."

"Bye, Mel," Dean murmured, placing his hand next to Sam's.

"Do you want to put your flowers on Mommy's coffin?" Sam asked Addy softly.

She shook her head and refused to look up from Dean's shoulder.

"Okay, I'll give them to your mommy for you," Sam told her. He placed the yellow flowers tenderly on top of the coffin. "Melissa, these are from Addy. She picked them out herself."

"Dean." Karen appeared at his elbow. "Would you say a few words during the service? The pastor asked if someone from Melissa's family would speak."

Dean swallowed hard and managed to nod at his sister's friend. He had no idea what he was going to say; he had never even met his sister, but he knew that he had to do this for her. "Okay, I'll to it."

"The pastor is ready to begin," Karen told him softly. "We need to take our seats."

Dean handed Addy to Sam and sucked in a deep breath as he tried to calm his rolling stomach. His mind whirled in anxious circles as he tried to figure out what he was going to say to honor the memory of his sister.

The organ began to play a hymn as Dean sat next to his brother and Addy on the front pew. Addy had curled up in Sam's lap and hidden her face in his shoulder.

The pastor stepped to the pulpit as the hymn ended. He was a short, brown-haired man with a roman nose and a mustache. He had blue eyes that shone brightly under thick eyebrows. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Melissa Winchester," he began as he opened his Bible. "I'd like to begin by reading from the twenty-third Psalm."

Dean shifted nervously on the wooden pew as the pastor spoke and read Scripture. He still had no idea what he was going to say to honor his sister's memory.

"And now Melissa's brother will say a few words," the pastor said as his gaze shifted to Dean.

Dean pushed to his feet and walked slowly toward the pulpit. He rested his hands on its cool wooden surface and glanced out over the chapel. Sam gazed at him with worried eyes and held Addy tightly against him.

Dean spoke as his eyes traveled over the small group of his sister's mourners. "Melissa was my big sister," he began, "but I never met her. She was kidnapped before I was born, but my parents loved her very much. I didn't know about her until I was nearly a teenager; my father found it painful to speak of her. My brother Sam and I, we wish we could have known her. I know my sister was a fighter; she was a Winchester through and through. She fought to give her daughter a good life, and in the end, she gave her life defending her daughter." Dean glanced down at the glossy wooden coffin that sat down below the pulpit. "Rest in peace, Melissa," he murmured before he left the pulpit and took his seat next to Sam.

Sam shifted so that his arm brushed against his brother's. He knew it was the only comfort Dean would accept at the moment.

The pastor spoke a bit longer and then ended the service with a prayer. The man had just stepped down from the pulpit and moved to shake Dean's hand when the backdoor to the chapel flew open with a bang. Everyone in the room turned around to look at the latecomer.

"Where's my daughter?" the man nearly growled as his eyes roved the crowd.

"Aidan Richards," Dean murmured. "Get her out of here, Sam."

Sam clutched his niece close and studied his brother. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm not gonna beat the guy to a pulp no matter how much I want to. Trust me, Sam. Now go!" His brother nodded and hurried through the side door of the chapel as Dean strode forward to meet Addy's father.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone! I hope everyone in the US had a lovely Thanksgiving. Here's the next chapter for you, where we finally get to meet Addy's father. Thanks again to everyone who has continued reading this and reviewed, that's always much appreciated.**

**This chapter was written by: LadyWallace**

Chapter Eight

Dean schooled his features to remain as calm as possible. No way was he going to blow up at his sister's memorial service in front of all these people. But every muscle was tense and his fists clenched at his sides. He couldn't believe the nerve of this man, leaving Dean's sister alone with a child and hardly any means to raise her, and then having the gall to show up _at her memorial_ and demand to know where his daughter was, all of a sudden of interest. Nope, Dean wasn't going to let that lie.

"Are you Richards?" Dean growled low, feeling all the eyes in the room on him.

The man glared indignantly, pulling himself up to his full height, which was several inches shorter than Dean. "I am, and who are you?"

"I'm Dean Winchester, Melissa's brother."

"Then you must know where my daughter is," Richards replied angrily.

"Yeah, about that," Dean said and grabbed the man roughly by the shoulder, shoving him toward the door. The man fought against him, but Dean wasn't letting go. There was no way this was happening inside the chapel over his sister's dead body. Dean might not have thought of himself as a religious man, but there were some lines he wouldn't cross.

Once the door closed behind them, he shoved Richards back against the wall of the building and held him there, his hands clenched in his jacket. Richards grabbed his wrists, trying to release Dean's iron grip on him, rage flashing over his face.

"What is your problem, man? Let me go!"

"My _problem_?" Dean growled. "You wanna know what my problem is? You show up at my sister's memorial service without a by your leave, and demand to know where her daughter is. That is way off the mark, buddy. Who gave you the right to do that? Do you have no respect for a little girl who has just lost her _mother_?" He slammed him back against the wall again as Richards tried to get free. "I already know you don't have any respect for my sister as is obvious, since you _left her pregnant_ and ran off so she had to raise her child _alone_. Well, let me tell you something: _no one_ hurts my family, and if you think you're going to get anywhere near Addy after this, you are very, very wrong."

"She's my blood daughter, I have every right! And who are you to tell me different?" Richards demanded.

"I'm Melissa's blood brother, you bastard!" Dean shouted, throwing the man to the ground and just barely resisting the urge to find the man's ribs with his heavy boot. Normally, the guy would have been bleeding or unconscious right now, but whether it was the thought of Addy or the setting, Dean couldn't bring himself to do it. Not that he didn't want to.

"Dean!"

He heard Sam run up behind him, a strong hand descending on his shoulder before Dean shrugged it off.

"Dean, come on, let's not do this," the younger Winchester pleaded, out of breath, obviously afraid Dean was going to beat the man to within an inch of his life.

Richards was picking himself up, glancing at the brothers warily, even as he did his best at keeping an angry expression on his face.

"Well, are you going to beat me or what?" he demanded, spreading his arms. "All I wanted was to see my daughter!"

"Yeah, and you're not gonna get her until you can prove you're worthy of her!" Dean shouted as Sam once again held him back.

"Prove myself worthy? What is this, the dark ages? You can take your King Arthur crap and…"

"Stop!" Sam shouted, putting a hand to both of the men's chests, keeping them from going at each other like wolves. "Let's not do this here, okay? Let's not dishonor Melissa's memory by doing that. Dean?" Sam looked to his brother who wouldn't meet his eyes. His jaw was set, his shoulders tense and his hands had yet to loosen from their fists. "We'll figure this out later, okay? Just not here. And you, Richards," Sam turned to the other man. "It really was out of line coming here like you did, but we'll give you a chance to state your case too."

"Oh come on, Sam, I thought you quit law school!" Dean growled but shut up when Sam gave him an exasperated look.

"Look, Richards," the younger brother continued. "Let's plan on meeting somewhere to talk later, okay? That way we can all have a chance to cool down."

"Well, I want a public place, if your dog can't keep from choking me out," Richards grunted.

"You little—" Sam slammed an arm across Dean's chest to keep him from lunging at the man.

"You choose," Sam told him, reaching into his pocket. "Here's my number, call me later when you decided where you want to meet."

"Will I get to see my daughter?" Richards asked.

"Seriously?" Dean scoffed.

"One step at a time, okay?" Sam nearly pleaded. "Now do yourself a favor and get out of here."

Richards looked reluctant to leave, but he seemed to decide it was probably the best thing to do since Sam was still actually physically holding Dean away from him, so he turned around and stormed off.

"Come on, Dean," Sam said quietly to his brother, trying to be a calming presence at the same time he was nearly dragging Dean around, back into the chapel. Dean pulled away from him and punched the wall three times, until his knuckles bled. He leaned against it, taking deep breaths, and Sam watched him several minutes before he set a strong hand on the back of Dean's neck, the same gesture of comfort his big brother had offered him so many times in the past.

"It's all right, Dean. I promise he won't get Addy unless we both agree to it, okay?"

"But Sammy, what if he gets a lawyer who demands we give her up to him?" Dean asked, his tight voice telling his younger brother how scared that thought made him. "I swear, Sam, if he does that, I'm packing you and Addy into the Impala and we're running for the border."

"It's not gonna come to that, Dean," Sam said, pulling his brother around to face him, his hands gripping his shoulders. "Come on. Maybe Richards isn't all that bad of a guy. He was angry too, and no offense, but you kinda came off as a hard case back there."

"Gotta protect my family, Sammy," Dean said defensively. "And when I think of what he did to Melissa and Addy, and then the nerve he had to show up here today…I just wanna start throwing punches."

"Yeah, well, you didn't and I'm proud of you," Sam told him with a small smirk.

"Shut up," Dean growled, shoving his younger brother in the shoulder, shaking his head.

"We don't know the whole story, Dean," Sam continued. "I just think we need to hear Richards' side of it, before we jump to too many conclusions."

"Yeah, all right," Dean replied grudgingly. "Where's Addy?"

"I left her with Karen. You'll be glad to hear Karen was just as angry when Richards' showed up. I think if you hadn't taken him outside, she would have."

Dean smiled at that. "I like that woman." He gripped Sam's shoulder and started to pull him back inside. "Come on then. Addy's probably worried."

Sam gave a sad smile as he followed Dean back inside. He had been seeing a side to Dean he had forgotten about, or hadn't appreciated when he was younger. The side that made the best big brother in the world, and had the makings of a really good father. In many ways, Dean had been a better father to Sam than John ever was, and he showed it now with Addy so that Sam could see truly for the first time all Dean had done for him when he was really too young to have to worry about that. Forget what Dean had said before about Sam quitting the life to raise Addy; Sam knew Dean only wanted what was best for him, but was he really as qualified as Dean? No. And there was no reason the elder Winchester shouldn't have a crack at a real life either. He hadn't seen one since he had been four years old and that was too young to appreciate it.

Sam realized then that if Richards ended up with Addy, every chance of a normal life for either of them would slip through their fingers. Was that one reason why Dean was so set against liking this guy?

Addy ran up to her uncles when they came back inside, and threw her arms around each of them in turn. Karen walked over, anger written plainly on her face.

"Well?"

"He's gone for now," Dean told her, trying his best to hide his bloody knuckles. "We'll tell you later."

"I can't believe he would pull something like that," she said, running a hand angrily through her hair.

Dean put Addy into Sam's care while he pulled Karen to one side to explain what had happened. "If it's okay, maybe Addy can stay with you this afternoon while we go meet him? I want to settle this as soon as possible."

"So do I," Karen said firmly, her lips pressed together in an angry line. "I don't want him to have Addy if he's not worth it. I trust you and Sam to determine that."

"Don't worry, we're not gonna let anyone take her." He paused for a moment, taking a risk, but knowing he could trust Karen even if he couldn't trust anyone else. "Listen, Karen, we think whoever killed Melissa might still be after Addy for whatever reason."

"What?" Karen hissed, horrified. "Why?"

"I don't know, I just have a feeling," Dean said quickly. "Just, please keep an eye on her. If anything happens, or you even feel something isn't right, like you see some stranger hanging around, you call me or Sam, okay? We'll come."

"Have you told the police about this?" she asked.

Dean smiled wryly. "Karen, one thing we've learned in our life, is that sometimes the less the police know, the better. Just trust me on this one."

She looked indecisive for a moment then shook her head. "Fine, you know I'll look after Addy as if she were my own daughter. And I'll call you if anything strange happens."

"Thanks," Dean said before going to find his brother and Addy again. The little girl was pressed against Sam's leg as the younger Winchester spoke to several of Melissa's friends. When she saw Dean, she ran to him and raised her arms so he would pick her up. He bent over and settled her on his hip, going over to the other women.

"This is my brother, Dean," Sam told them as Dean came to stand beside him.

"Our condolences, Dean," one of the women said. "We really wished Mel could have met you and Sam. I'm sure she would be very happy with how well you take care of Addy."

"Well, we do everything we can," Dean smiled sadly, holding the little girl tighter. "I wish we could have met her too."

"Callie was telling me that she was having a small wake at her house afterward," Sam told him, indicating one of the women. "She was wondering if we wanted to go."

Dean nodded. "Sure. We'll come for a while. I'd like to talk to people who knew Mel, get to know her better." The nickname felt right on his tongue, which only resulted in another pang in his heart.

"We'll be glad to see you there, I'll give you directions."

They stayed for a while longer then left for the wake when Karen did. Addy was quiet and Dean was a little worried, but he supposed it was only to be expected. At least she would be able to play with Sarah when they got there. That might liven her up a bit.

It was a pleasant gathering, and Sam and Dean got to talk to a lot of Melissa's friends and co-workers, learning about their older sister. She had been a dedicated worker, and a good mother to Addy even though she hadn't had much to give her. She had a pleasant personality, but wasn't afraid to stand up and do what needed to be done, as was proven by the fact she was ready to, and did, protect Addy with her life. Dean decided she had been a lot like his mother, with maybe a little bit of John thrown in there. In either way, he knew his parents would have been proud of the woman she became. He was.

"She was so excited to have found out who she was," Kirsten said. "She even had her name changed back to Winchester as it should be once she found out about her family. It was everything she ever wanted to meet you." She sniffed and Sam handed her a tissue.

"I know she would have been proud of her little brothers," an older woman said with a smile. "You two are very good boys, looking after Addy like you did."

Dean didn't know what to say to that. He hated being praised for things that he did because he wanted to. Taking care of Addy was not a chore.

Eventually they decided to leave, figuring Addy probably wanted to have some quiet time. They were just leaving when Sam's phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered.

"This is Aidan Richards," came the voice on the other end of the phone. "I, um, I thought maybe we could meet at the diner on Park Street. Five o'clock?"

"That's sounds good," Sam said. "See you then." He turned to Dean. "We're meeting Richards in an hour at a diner."

"Because he's so scared of us," Dean growled mockingly.

Karen came up to them, having overheard. "I can take Addy home with me so you can have time to change and won't have to drop her off. You can take as long as you need, we'll feed her dinner."

Dean turned to Addy and crouched down beside her. "Will you be okay, going home with Aunt Karen?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, startling him. "Are you coming back?" she whispered.

"Of course, sweetheart," Dean told her, pulling her back with a smile. He kissed her forehead before he stood up. "Uncle Sammy and I are just going to go talk to someone for a while and then we'll take you back to the motel, okay? You can have fun with Sarah."

She nodded and Karen took her hand, smiling after the brothers. "See you later."

Sam and Dean drove back to their room to change. The Impala felt empty without Addy in the backseat. Dean kept looking in the rearview mirror before he would remember she wasn't back there.

Dean slipped a pistol into the back of his jeans before leaving the room, only stopping when he heard Sam huff.

"What?" he demanded.

"Dean, come on, you can at least be civil. Leave the gun."

He grumbled, but left it, grabbing his jacket and slamming the door behind him. He really didn't want to do this, but he knew that it had to be done. He was secretly glad that Sam was with him, otherwise he would probably do something he would regret.

The diner wasn't packed quite yet, but it was busy, it almost being dinner time, and Sam and Dean found that Aidan Richards had already arrived, sitting at a corner booth in the back of the diner, a cup of coffee in front of him. He looked wary when the brothers sat down on the other side of the booth, but nodded. Sam smiled.

"Hi Richards, thanks for meeting us here," he said.

The waitress came up and asked if they wanted anything.

"Coffee would be fine," Sam said to her.

"And pie," Dean added. He could at least have some pie if nothing else good came out of this.

"So," Sam decided to start proceedings, since Dean didn't seem to want to say anything. "We know you want to see Addy, but I'm sure you can understand, that Dean and I are very cautious of who we allow around her right now. She's been through a horrible trauma and she's having a hard time trusting people."

"I understand that," Richards said, slightly impatient. "I just wanted to see my daughter, that's all."

"Well, if you wanted to see her so badly, maybe you could have taken the time to do so within the last four years while my sister was scraping to provide for her daughter alone!" Dean growled, his fist clenching in his lap. He felt Sam press his foot on top of his own, not enough to hurt, but as a warning not to do anything.

"And I would have!" Richards growled back, hitting his fist on the table before he lowered his head into his hands with a sigh. "Look, I didn't know I had a daughter until Melissa was murdered, all right? I just found out when the police contacted me a few days ago."

"You didn't know?" Sam asked, taken aback. "Melissa never told you?"

"No," Richards groaned. He looked over at Dean. "Look, I know you think I'm just some jerk who left her pregnant, but that's not what happened. I really liked Melissa, a lot. But when I met her, it was just the wrong time, I was studying for my degree, and dirt poor, so we decided that it would be best to break it off until I got into a better position. Then she left, and I never heard from her again. I thought she wasn't interested anymore. I swear, if I knew I had a daughter, I would have done everything I could to take care of them, even if we didn't have much, I would have done what I could."

Sam and Dean were silent, taking that in. The waitress came back with their coffee and pie.

"I'm not a bad guy," Richards insisted. "I was just…shocked and angry. I never knew, but the police said my name was on the birth certificate, so I guess Mel knew what she was doing. I just wish…" He put his head in his hands again.

"But why wouldn't she have told you?" Sam asked gently.

"I don't know," Richards said. "Mel was proud, and independent, she never liked to ask for help. Maybe she thought that a child would scare me off, or be too much for me at the time. Maybe it would have been, I don't know, but we would have made it work together. I just wish she had told me, maybe then she wouldn't have—" he faltered, shaking his head.

"It might have happened all the same," Dean told him. "Probably would have, in fact, but you both might be dead, leaving Addy with no one."

Richards looked up at him. "What do you mean? It was just a random murder, some psychopath."

Dean shrugged noncommittally. "Well, whatever. All I'm saying is, maybe it wasn't exactly a bad thing."

"So, does that mean you're going to let me see my daughter?" Richards asked.

"Yes," Sam said, looking at Dean quickly. "But, we're not just going to hand her over to you, okay? She trusts us, but it took a while to get there. It will probably take a while for you to get there too. So we'll start off slow, okay?"

"And if you don't want to agree to that, you can go right now," Dean told him firmly.

Richards set his jaw, but he nodded. "I suppose it's fair. When do you think…?"

"Maybe tomorrow?" Sam suggested looking to Dean who shrugged. "That will give us time to get Addy used to the idea. Just don't be offended if she doesn't take to you at first."

Richards nodded. "Okay. So where do you want to meet?"

They made plans to meet around noon at the park the next day and when they had finished the pie and coffee, Sam and Dean parted ways with Richards.

"See, he's not such a bad guy, Dean," Sam told his brother as they got into the Impala to go and pick up Addy.

"Yeah, all right," Dean admitted grudgingly. "But we'll have to see how he acts around Addy. That's the important part."

"I'm sure he'll do fine," Sam said with a small smile.

"Well, I'll keep my eye on him," Dean grunted, starting the engine. "Now, to get Addy used to the idea of meeting her daddy."


	10. Chapter 9

**Another chapter as promised! I hope everyone has survived the holiday weekend and got some relaxing in :) I didn't really, but that's okay. Hope you all continue to enjoy this story!**

**This chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle **

Chapter Nine

Sam was emotionally and physically exhausted by the time they returned to Karen's house. He dreaded the conversation they would be having with Addy tonight. He didn't have the faintest idea of how to approach the subject of her father with the child.

"Uncle Dean! Uncle Sammy!" Addy's anxious face appeared at Karen's side when the woman opened the door. She darted out, ran down the walk, and threw herself into Sam's arms. He swung her up and kissed her cheek. "Have you had fun with Sarah?" he asked.

Addy nodded, but reached for Dean. "I missed you. I wanted you to come back."

Dean took her from Sam and settled her on his hip. "Remember that I told you Uncle Sammy and I would be back to take you to the motel?" he asked.

Addy nodded and then buried her face in his shoulder.

"She was very worried," Karen informed them softly. "She wasn't really in the mood to play, so Sarah put in a movie for them to watch. Addy sat on the couch and looked for you out of the window."

Dean hugged the child close and ran a tender hand over her hair. "It's going to take time," he murmured.

"So, how did things go?" Karen asked, her eyes moving from Dean to Sam.

"I think they went okay," Sam admitted. "He didn't know about her." He nodded toward his niece. "We have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow."

"I wanna go back to the motel," Addy whimpered tiredly against Dean's neck.

"Okay, kiddo," he assured her.

"Will you sit in the back with me?" she asked him with a sniffle.

"Sure, Ads; we'll let Uncle Sammy drive." Dean handed his brother the keys and turned toward the door.

"We'll talk to you tomorrow afternoon, Karen," Sam promised her. "Thank you so much for everything." He gave his sister's friend a quick hug.

"Thank you, Karen," Dean echoed he clasped Karen's hand in his own.

"You just take care of Mel's little girl, and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

They left Karen's house and got settled in the car. The drive back to the motel was quiet. Addy curled against Dean in the backseat. He absently stroked her blonde hair, and she dozed off against him.

Dean carried her inside once Sam parked the car in front of their room. She woke when he settled her on the bed. "Where's my doll?" she mumbled.

Sam handed it to her and she cuddled it close, her fingers absently twirling in the doll's blonde hair.

Dean settled on the bed against the headboard and turned on the television. Addy stayed next to him for a while before she got up and began to play with her doll in the floor.

Sam caught his brother's gaze, but neither of them really knew how to start a conversation about Aidan Richards with the child.

Addy herself provided the opening. "Uncle Dean, will you read me a story?" Addy asked as she clambered up onto the bed beside her uncle.

Dean leaned back against the headboard and put the magazine he was flipping through to the side. "I'll read it in a bit, but first Uncle Sammy and I have something we want to talk to you about."

Addy crawled into his lap and curled against him so that she could look up into his face.

Dean tightened his arms around her and felt the bed dip as Sam sat down beside him. He pressed a kiss to Addy's forehead before he continued. "Tomorrow we are going to take you to meet someone."

"Who?" Addy asked curiously. "Is it someone for me to play with?"

Sam smiled at her and tickled her tummy. "No, princess, it's someone very special."

Addy giggled and squirmed in Dean's lap making the eldest Winchester brother wince. "Who is it?" she asked.

"Well," Dean hesitated briefly as his eyes flicked up to his brother's before they returned to Addy, "We are taking you to meet your daddy."

Addy's eyes widened and she looked back and forth between Sam and Dean as if she wasn't sure they were telling her the truth. A frown tugged at her lips and her brow furrowed. "But Mommy said I didn't have a daddy," she said softly as her fingers moved to clutch Dean's t-shirt. All of the uncertainty of the past few weeks came flooding back to her and she began to tremble.

Dean was ready to tell Sam to call Richards and cancel the meeting at the park, but he knew Sam would refuse. He pulled Addy into a tight hug and waited until she stopped shaking. His hand rubbed her back in soothing circles. Dean pulled back in alarm when he suddenly felt her entire body stiffen. "Addy, what's wrong, kiddo?"

Sam reached out to brush the blonde hair back from Addy's face when he heard the alarm in his brother's voice. "Addy?" he questioned.

Huge tears welled in the child's eyes. "Are you gonna make me go away with him? Don't you want me anymore?"

"Addy," Dean choked out past the lump that formed in his throat, "Uncle Sammy and I will always want you and love you, but your daddy wants to meet you." He thumbed her tears from her cheeks and reluctantly let Sam take the child from his arms.

Sam held Addy close and buried his face in her blonde tresses when she wrapped her small arms tightly around his neck. He finally pulled back and managed a smile for the frightened little girl. "Uncle Dean is right, Addy. We love you so very much, and we are happy you are here with us. We are just going to meet your daddy at the park. Maybe he will push you on the swing."

"Don't wanna meet him," Addy pouted sullenly as her fingers twisted at the buttons on Sam's shirt. She began to sob, her small shoulders heaving. "I don't wanna go live with someone else. I like being with you." Days of being passed around amongst strangers had left their mark on the young child.

"Addy, you aren't going to live with him tomorrow." Sam felt tears prick at his eyes and reached up with one hand to wipe them away before Addy noticed. He was startled when Dean reached over and plucked Addy out of his lap.

"Ads, we aren't going to send you away to live with any strangers," he told her firmly as he held her chin so that he could look into her face. "Uncle Sammy and I are going to be with you tomorrow when you meet your daddy. He is very excited to see you."

"But I'm coming back to the motel with you?" she whimpered.

"I promise," Dean told her.

She flung her arms around him and held on tight as sobs shook her small body. Dean held her for a long time until the sobs turned into hiccups and sniffles. Finally, her body relaxed against him and she fell into an exhausted slumber. Instead of putting her down, Dean leaned back against the headboard once more and situated Addy against him. He leaned his cheek against her golden hair and vowed silently to himself that Aidan Richards would never hurt this child.

Sam grabbed a blanket off of his bed and draped it over Addy. "She looked cold," he murmured, his eyes full of worry.

"He's not going to hurt her, Sam," Dean informed his brother.

"We won't let him," Sam assured him.

Dean dozed off with Addy in his arms only to be awakened in the middle of the night by her screaming and rolling out of his arms onto the empty side of the bed. Dean blinked owlishly when Sam turned on the light and reached for the terrified little girl. "Addy, Addy, you're okay; come here, kiddo."

Addy's small fists pummeled against Dean's chest. "Don't take me away! I want to stay with Uncle Dean. No, no! Uncle Sammy, don't let my daddy take me away!"

"Addy!" Dean shook her gently and the child's eyes popped open. She began to sob hysterically as she looked wildly around the motel room to orient herself.

Dean held her tightly against his chest. He smoothed her hair and rocked back and forth until her tears slowed.

Sam went into the bathroom and returned with a cool washcloth. He sat next to Dean and gently wiped Addy's face. She hiccupped and sniffled before she reached for him. Sam tossed the cloth onto the bedside table and cuddled Addy close. "You're worried about tomorrow, huh, princess?" he asked quietly.

She nodded against him. "I'm afraid he will make me go away. I don't want to go away. I want to stay with you and Uncle Dean."

"Addy," Sam told her solemnly, "I promise you that you will be coming back here with me and Uncle Dean tomorrow."

"Will you stay with me when I see my daddy?" she whimpered.

"You bet, kiddo," Dean promised at the same time as Sam said, "Yes, princess."

Addy settled back against Sam. "Do I havta go back to sleep now? I don't wanna have another bad dream."

"Let's watch some TV," Dean suggested as he reached for the remote. They settled for watching old cartoon reruns while Addy dozed off and on against Sam.

None of them felt rested when the alarm went off the next morning. Addy was fitful and her uncles were both bleary-eyed and grumpy.

Dean caught Addy looking at him with huge eyes when he snapped viciously at Sam over something simple, so he decided he needed a few minutes to himself. "I'm going to make sure we have the room for one more night and then pick up some breakfast," he grumbled to his brother and shrugged into his coat before he hurried out of the door.

Dean found himself walking in circles around the sprawling motel to get out his frustration. His mind wandered to places he didn't want it to go. What if Richards hired a lawyer and got custody of Addy? What if Addy met the man and instantly hated him? Dean's stomach twisted and he felt bile rise in the back of his throat. He spat into the grass and quickened his pace. All he wanted to do was hold Addy in his arms before they had to take her to meet Richards.

When he returned to their room a bit later with a box of donuts and two cups of coffee, Addy's small face was scrunched against the dirty window. She waved wildly at him as he approached and used the key to get into the room. As soon as the door was open, she attached herself to his leg.

"She was worried about you," Sam pointed out. "I think we may be dealing with some separation anxiety."

Dean nodded and swung his niece up into his arms once he'd placed the food on the table. "Let's brush your hair, Ads. Do you want one ponytail or two?" He was getting slightly better at doing hair although it was still a bit lopsided.

Addy held up one finger and buried her face against his neck.

"One it is!" Dean replied, trying to sound cheerful for the frightened little girl. He settled her before him on the bed and ran the brush through her silky blonde hair before fashioning a ponytail.

"You're getting better at that," Sam smirked. "It's not quite as crooked this time, just a little to the left."

"Bite me," Dean growled at his brother.

Addy looked at him worriedly before her hands reached up to feel her hair.

Sam saw the look on her face and immediately felt badly for joking. "You look fine, princess. I was just teasing Uncle Dean. Let's go look in the mirror." He settled her on his hip and the frown on her face faded once she looked into the mirror and saw that her hair did not actually look too bad.

Addy refused to leave Sam's lap as they ate their donuts. She didn't eat much, only broke her donut into small pieces on her napkin.

"You ready?" Dean finally asked Sam reluctantly with a glance at the motel room's digital clock.

Sam stood with Addy in his arms, nodded, and blew out a nervous breath. "Addy, do you want to take your doll?"

Instead of answering, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face against his shoulder. Sam shared a glance with his brother. "Uncle Dean will get her for you."

Dean picked up the doll and then grabbed the keys. "Let's go to the park. We'll grab some lunch afterwards."

"Uncle Sammy, will you sit with me?" Addy asked hopefully as her fingers threaded nervously through his longish brown hair.

"You betcha, princess," he assured her with a tickle to her tummy. Instead of giggling, she just burrowed into him with a shivery sigh.

They were all quiet on the drive to the park. Addy sat nestled beneath Sam's arm, her little body tense and trembling.

Dean parked the Impala and glanced over his shoulder into the back seat. His eyes met those of his brother and they made an unspoken agreement. If Aidan Richards so much as even blinked wrong at Addy, his backside was toast.

"Come on, kiddo." Dean forced a smile for Addy's benefit even though his stomach was churning. "Let's go see your daddy."

Dean looked out across the small park and realized that Richards had beaten them there. He was sitting on the park's lone bench huddled in a black leather jacket. A bag sat on the bench beside him. Dean allowed his eyes to scan the park looking for any sign of the vamp. For right now, all seemed safe.

Sam exited the car and helped Addy out before taking her small hand in his much larger one. "It's going to be fine," he spoke softly. "Remember, you are going back to the motel with me and Uncle Dean, so there's no need to worry."

Addy craned her neck back to look up at him and nodded. Her eyes were wide with fright and she clutched her doll in her arms like a lifeline.

"Come on," Dean murmured as he flanked Addy on her other side.

Aidan Richards stood as they approached and his eyes focused on the small child walking between the Winchester brothers, her hand clutched tightly in Sam's.

"Richards," Dean greeted with a nod, trying hard to hide his distrust of the man before him for Addy's sake.

Aidan didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the blonde little girl with his nose and Melissa's eyes. "Hi, Addy," he greeted nervously. "I'm your dad." The longing look Aidan gave her told Sam that the man was instantly besotted with his daughter.

Addy pressed against Sam's long legs and looked down at the ground.

Sam knelt next to her and tugged her into a one-armed hug. "Addy, when someone speaks to you it's polite to say hello in return," he prompted gently.

"Hi," the child whispered, still not lifting her eyes.

"Give her some time," Sam told Richards quietly. "She's really nervous."

Aidan nodded and plucked his bag from the bench before bending down in front of his daughter and Sam. "I got you something, Addy. I hope you like it," he told her hopefully. He reached into the plastic bag from the superstore and pulled out a brown-haired doll in a violet-colored dress. "Looks like your doll under your arm there can have a new friend."

Addy held her doll from Sam and Dean more tightly against her chest.

"What do you say, Addy?" Sam prompted.

"Thank you," the child whispered almost begrudgingly. Aidan tried to mask his disappointment at the child's reaction.

Dean could stand it no longer. He sat down on bench and tugged Addy into the safety of his lap. She leaned stiffly back against him, stress evident in her posture.

Sam stood and shoved his hands in his pockets as he studied Richards. The guy was going to have to figure out how to win Addy over, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy. He almost felt sorry for him.

"Here," Aidan told his daughter as he sat on the bench beside Dean and handed her the doll.

Addy took it reluctantly and gazed down at it as if waiting for it to bite her.

"So, what are you going to name her?" Aidan asked a bit nervously as he rubbed his sweaty palms back and forth on his jeans.

Addy thought for a moment and fingered the doll's brown hair. Sam and Dean waited to see what she would come up with, maybe Karen or Sarah perhaps.

"Sammy," the child murmured, gazing up at Richards with an almost defiant gaze.

"But…but….he's your Uncle Sammy. You're naming your doll after a boy." The man looked startled and a bit flummoxed.

Dean snorted a laugh. "I always knew you were a Samantha," he sniggered at his brother.

Sam groaned inwardly. Dean would never let him live this down.

"She has brown hair like Uncle Sammy," Addy stated with a hint of the Winchester fire in her voice as if she sensed Aidan was unhappy with her.

"Then Sammy it is," the man backpedaled.

This meeting was going downhill quickly. "Here, let me hold your dolls while you go swing." Sam plucked the Melissa and Sammy dolls from his niece's lap and nodded at Dean to take the little girl to the swings.

Dean did so reluctantly and Aidan followed, seeming uncertain. Addy drug her feet in the sand although she allowed her uncle to help her into the swing's blue seat.

"Why don't you push her, Aidan?" Sam encouraged, ignoring Dean's scowl.

"Me?" the nervous father looked a bit startled. "What if she falls off?"

"She knows how to hold on," Sam told him calmly. "Just don't go too high."

Anxiously, the man stepped behind the swing and gave Addy a tiny push. The small girl held herself rigid in the seat. Aidan pushed her a little bit harder until her blonde hair was blowing behind her. Addy never smiled, but she did eventually relax a bit.

"Um, what else does she like to do?" Aidan finally gathered up the courage to ask Sam as Dean was currently frowning at him with quite the threatening look.

"Ask her," Sam encouraged. "She will eventually warm up to you." He had to admit that Aidan didn't seem that bad; he just wasn't quite sure what to do with his daughter. Sam himself realized he had been like that at first with the child, but with Dean it had been different. Dean took to her immediately, and Sam understood it was probably because of all of the experience he'd had helping their father to raise him many years ago. The protective set to Dean's shoulders was not unlike it used to be when Sam was a boy being bullied on the playground after school.

"Can Uncle Dean push me now?" Addy asked hopefully.

Aidan nodded and backed off so that Dean could take over.

"Higher, Uncle Dean!" the child called out happily as a smile bloomed on her face.

Aidan tried to ignore the pain that blossomed in his chest. His own child was terrified of him; he was a complete stranger to her. Despite his best efforts, anger at Melissa formed a solid knot in his gut. She'd kept his child from him, his precious little girl with his nose and her mother's blonde hair. "I wish Mel had told me about her," he sighed. "I've missed so much."

"So have we," Sam told him. "I keep looking at her and wondering what traits she gets from Melissa. The only way Dean and I will get to know our sister is through her."

"She has her mom's laugh," Aidan admitted softly as the little girl shrieked with laughter when Dean grabbed the chains to stop the swing. "And the way she brushes her hair back from her face with her hand, Mel did that all the time." His voice was laced with pain.

"And her smile?" Sam asked in a choked voice.

"All Mel," Aidan answered quietly.

Dean approached with Addy on his hip, and Sam could tell that his brother seemed on edge. "I think it's time we get Addy some lunch," he said with a meaningful glance at his brother.

Sam glanced around nervously, realizing that something had put Dean on edge. "I'm sure she's starving." He looked at Aidan. Maybe we can meet for lunch tomorrow so you can see Addy again."

The man nodded eagerly. "I'd like that. Maybe Addy can tell me more about what she likes to do."

Addy stared at her father from her perch on Dean's hip, but her face showed no hint of pleasure at his words.

"Remember, it's going to take time," Sam informed the man kindly.

"We need to go," Dean said a bit insistently. He carried Addy toward the car. "Bye, Richards."

Sam followed his brother. "See you at noon tomorrow? Maybe at the diner down the street from the funeral home?"

"Sounds good," Aidan answered before he waved in Addy's direction and strode to the SUV parked across the lot.

Sam climbed into the passenger seat of the Impala and glanced into the backseat at Addy. She had her Melissa doll cuddled in her lap, but the Sammy doll lay discarded on the seat beside her. "What was the hurry back there?" he asked his brother quietly.

"I thought I saw something in the trees," Dean told him. "I didn't want to take any chances. We haven't seen it in a few days."

Sam understood his brother's words. The vamp had been watching them. A shiver trailed down his spine as her turned once more to look at the precious little girl in the backseat.


	11. Chapter 10

**Getting into some of the excitement in this chapter! Thanks as always to all who read and review! I hope everyone has a good weekend, there should be another chapter up sunday :)**

**This chapter was written by: LadyWallace**

Chapter Ten

They kept Addy in the motel room for the rest of the day, and decided to order a pizza in for dinner that night. Dean didn't say anything, but Sam knew he was worried they had been followed by the vampire earlier and didn't want to risk it, especially now after dark when he would be stronger and they were only more exhausted from their bad night of sleep.

"So, Addy," Sam ventured, knowing they would have to approach the subject eventually. "What did you think of your dad?"

Dean shot him a look, which he ignored, keeping his eyes on the little girl. Addy shrugged, picking the peperoni off her pizza and putting it on Dean's plate. Sam remembered how she had told him she used to give her mom her peperoni. A familiar little ache started in his chest like it always did when he thought of the big sister he had never gotten to meet.

"We're going to go see him for lunch tomorrow, remember?" he coaxed.

Addy sighed. "Do we have to?" she asked quietly.

Sam opened his mouth, but was surprised when Dean took over. "Hey kiddo," he said, reaching out to draw Addy's face up to look at him. "You know, your dad really wants to get to know you, so you've got to at least give him a chance, okay? I know you want to stay with me and Uncle Sammy, but I think you should get to know your daddy too. I think your mom would have wanted that. Remember, we're not going to let him take you away. I just want you to be a little nicer to him, let him get to know you. Can you do that for your mommy?"

She leaned over and buried her face in Dean's lap, hugging his waist. She nodded against his stomach and he pulled her up to sit in his lap, smiling at her. "Good girl. I know he's a little dumb about kids, but he's never had one before, so you've gotta give him a chance. Help him out a little. He can't be much worse than your uncles, right?" He grinned and tickled her until she giggled. "That's better. Now finish your pizza and then it's time for a bath."

Once they got Addy ready for bed and Dean read her a story, she was already half asleep and Dean breathed a silent sigh of relief as he tucked her into the bed.

"I hope she sleeps better tonight. Because if I don't get at least four hours together, I'm not going to be a happy camper tomorrow. Coffee only does so much," Dean grunted to his brother.

Sam smiled slightly, looking over the top of his computer as Dean sat down across from him at the small table. "You know, Dean, that was really generous what you said earlier."

"What?" Dean asked.

"About Richards," Sam smirked. "I'm actually rather proud of you. I was afraid you would try and turn Addy against him."

"Shut up," Dean grunted, resting his head in his hand as he looked over his shoulder at the sleeping child, clutching both her dolls right now. "I guess he's not such a bad guy. Pretty clueless, but I guess we aren't much better."

"You know Dean, for the record, I think you would make a really good dad."

Dean gave a wry chuckle. "Yeah, I don't know, Sammy."

"You raised me," Sam insisted. "And you do great with Addy. You can see the way she trusts you."

"You don't do too shabby yourself, little brother," Dean told him fondly. "But in all honesty, I kind of have to, grudgingly mind, feel sorry for Richards. Who wouldn't want to have a little girl like Addy?"

"So does this mean you're going to stop glaring at him?" Sam asked with a laugh.

"Not a chance," Dean told him with a snort.

"You would do awesome with daughters, Dean, no boy would ever try anything if they knew they'd face your wrath."

Dean's face fell, serious. "That life just isn't cut out for us, Sammy. Even if we do find the thing that killed Mom, what then? Do we just go on with a normal life? What is that, even? We're so far off the path we don't even know how to find the way back on. Will we ever have a normal life?"

"We can always hope, Dean," Sam told him, his eyes softening. "We should never give up hope."

"But until then," Dean continued. "I just think that the only way Addy will ever have a snowball's chance for a normal life is with Richards. That's why I really hope this works out. It's going to tear me up letting her go, but I know it's for the best."

Sam tried to ignore the fact that Dean scrubbed a hand over his eyes, but his own were stinging too. He cleared his throat and closed the laptop. "So, what are we going to do about the vamp?"

Dean pulled himself together. "I don't know. That's the problem. We need to gank it as soon as possible. If it's been following us, it's only waiting for a chance to strike. I'm surprised it's waited this long. I think we're working on borrowed time. We just need something to do with Addy while we go take care of it."

"Maybe we can leave her at Karen's?" Sam suggested.

Dean nodded. "We could do that. But I don't want to put them in danger too."

"We'll be there if they need us," Sam assured him.

"I also need to get ahold of some dead man's blood," Dean mused. "That might be tricky since they already know my face at the morgue and the funeral home. I suppose if Richards upsets Addy…"

"Dean," Sam sighed in exasperation as his brother smiled slightly.

"We'll figure it out, and we'll get this thing, Sam," he said firmly. "I'm not gonna let this vamp walk. He killed Melissa and I am going to return the favor."

Sam nodded. "Me too."

"Now," Dean muffled a yawn. "How about some sleep? I'm exhausted."

Addy did sleep better that night, so, thankfully, the brothers were also able to get a good night's sleep and woke in a better mood the next morning. Dean ran out on a quick shopping run after breakfast, deciding it was probably best to keep Addy out of the public as much as possible. By the time he got back, it was almost time for them to meet Richards. Addy was playing quietly while Sam worked on his laptop. He beckoned Dean over as he came in and set the bags on the table. Addy jumped up and hugged his leg.

"You're back, Uncle Dean!" she cried, looking up at him.

"Yup, I'm back," Dean told her with a grin, ruffling her hair. "Why don't you go brush this so we can go meet your dad for lunch, okay?"

She nodded and went off to brush her hair. Dean turned to Sam who indicated what was on the laptop.

"There's been a couple more killings since Melissa," Sam said quietly, glancing over at the little girl staring into the mirror as she concentrated on brushing the tangles out of her blond hair. "The police are keeping it pretty quiet to avoid panic, but I was able to find a couple reports of killings in the area, mostly homeless people. There's not many details given, but I think we can pretty much assume it's the vamp."

Dean's jaw tightened. "Yeah, I know. I think we need to get stuff ready for this hunt, and just get it over with. The longer we wait the more desperate this creep is going to get and he'll be willing to try desperate measures."

"Maybe we can take Addy to Karen's this afternoon to collect what we need for the hunt and do some scouting," Sam suggested. "Then maybe tomorrow she could stay the night with them?"

Dean nodded slowly. "That might be the best option. Though I'd rather not bring Karen and her family into this. If the vamp finds them…"

"Uncle Dean, will you braid my hair?"

He stopped and Sam closed his laptop as Addy came over with her brush and rubber bands. Dean picked her up and sat her at the table.

"I can't promise this will turn out, but we'll give it a shot," he said.

"I'll do it," Sam offered.

Dean gave him a look. "Dude, you know how to braid? Wow, Samantha."

Sam shot wrinkled his nose as he smoothed Addy's hair and started to separate the locks. "I used to do it for Jess," he said quietly and Dean instantly felt a pang in his chest. If things had been different, if maybe he hadn't gotten Sam when he did, this could have been his little brother's life within a few years time. Married to Jessica, a daughter, or a son, a good life. If it was too late for his little brother to have that, then he vowed that it was not going to be too late for his niece.

"There, all done," Sam said as he tied off the braid and Addy hopped up and went to get her dolls.

"Thank you, Uncle Sammy!" she said.

Dean knelt down in front of her to meet her eye to eye. "Now, remember, Addy, let's try to be nicer to your daddy today. Help him get to know you better, all right?"

She nodded and Dean kissed her forehead before he stood up and grabbed his jacket and keys. "Come on, kids."

"Kids yourself," Sam shot back, kicking the back of Dean's leg on their way out the door.

They got to the diner first that day and, with some coaxing, Dean and Sam urged Addy to sit on the other side of the booth from them so she could sit by Richards.

He came in a moment later and smiled at Addy before shaking hands with Sam and Dean.

"Can I sit here?" he asked Addy and at her nod, he slid into the booth beside her. "It's good to see you again, Addy."

"Hi," she said shyly, peeking up at him. "Uncle Dean says I got to help you because you're kind of dumb about kids."

Sam smothered a laugh as Dean shot a glare at Addy before turning to Richards with a cautious grin. "What I meant was that she should help you get to know her better. Right, Ads?"

She nodded, with a small smile. Richards' face softened as he watched her and Dean knew that he too was falling for that precious little girl just like the Winchesters had. He might want to keep her for himself, but how could he deny anyone else that joy as well?

"Why don't you look at the menu with him, Addy?" Sam suggested. "You can tell your dad what you would like to have for lunch."

Richards opened the menu with her and pointed out things. "I think I'm going to have a hamburger, Addy, what do you want?"

She thought a moment. "Grilled cheese."

Richards smiled. "Good choice!"

Sam and Dean shared a rather bittersweet look. Whether it was for the sake of her uncles or not, Addy seemed to at least be attempting to get to know Richards better.

They chatted a bit until their food arrived, the waitress cooing over Addy, who gave her a shy look. Dean grinned to himself just as proud of Addy as if she were his own daughter. Richards smiled too and Dean was sad that he couldn't claim Addy as his own, because she wasn't and there wouldn't even be any pretending anymore.

They finished lunch and Richards insisted on paying for the bill before they left the diner.

"That was a nice lunch, wasn't it, Addy?" Sam said to her as they walked out to their car. "Why don't you thank your dad?"

"Give him a hug too," Dean whispered to her.

Addy went over to Richards cautiously and gave him a swift hug. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Richards smiled and hesitantly patted her head. "You're welcome, honey." He looked up at Sam and Dean. "Do you think maybe we could get together tomorrow?"

Dean cast a glance at Sam. "Maybe you could meet us at the park? We've got some things to do this afternoon. How about ten o'clock tomorrow, what do you say Addy?"

"Okay," she nodded before taking Dean's hand and going back to the Impala with him. Richards' shoulders slumped slightly and Sam smiled at him and shook his hand in farewell.

"Don't worry, she'll warm up to you. It took her a while with us as well."

Richards smiled wryly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I just don't know whether she's not too attached to you two. I don't know if I'll ever be able to gain her trust like that."

"It'll take some time," Sam said. "Just don't give up."

"Sammy, come on!" Dean called.

"Uncle Sammy, come on!" Addy echoed, making the two men chuckle.

"I'll see you tomorrow, thanks for lunch," Sam told Richards and hurried to the car.

When they got back to the motel room, Dean called Karen to see if Addy could go over there for a couple hours.

Addy sighed as she looked through her books, lying on the bed. "Uncle Dean, I'm tired of being in here," she pouted.

"I know, kiddo, it's just safer this way," Dean told her. "But you're gonna go play with Sarah this afternoon, okay?"

She brightened up. "Okay. I'll show her my Sammy doll."

Dean smirked again, casting a teasing glance at his eye-rolling brother. There was no way he would ever let the younger Winchester live that down.

He did a little research on the computer before they left for Karen's house, and dropped Addy off. As she ran into the house to find Sarah, Dean pulled Karen aside.

"Sam and I will be back as soon as possible. I just want you to know that, again, if you see anything strange, let me know. If anyone you don't know comes to the door, do not answer it."

Karen frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Dean, I want you to tell me the truth. Is Addy in danger?"

Dean hesitated, a lie on his tongue, but then he decided that lying wouldn't help anyone. "Yes, Karen. I'm afraid the man who killed Mel is still out there and that he might be after Addy."

She nodded, silent for a moment as she thought over this information. "I will look after her, Dean. And if I see anything strange, I will call you."

"Thanks," Dean said, then left with Sam.

"Okay, we'll split up and meet back at the library in town, that way we can get this done sooner," Dean told him as he let Sam out of the car.

They met up an hour later, and Sam got into the Impala when Dean pulled up for him.

"Well, did you get it?" Sam asked as he closed the door.

Dean indicated a paper bad sitting on the floor of the car. "Do not ask where I got it," he warned.

Sam smirked then pulled out a folder of papers. "So, I was doing some research trying to find where the vamp might be hiding out. There's several abandoned cabins on the outskirts of town, I mean, tons of them. He could be in any of them, Dean. But I would say he's closer to town than not, since we keep seeing him."

"Speaking of which," Dean said grimly. "Have you noticed a tail at all today?"

"Not that I noticed," Sam said. "I was looking."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," Dean said grimly as he sped off back to Karen's place. "I don't think the vamp wants us, I think it wants to try to get Addy while we're away. So when we go to gank this thing tomorrow night, we have to find it first before it can circle back and get Addy."

Sam nodded. "I know." He sighed. "Dean, I'm just afraid taking her to Karen's might be a bad idea. We don't know how secure their house is, and I don't want to put the rest of them in danger along with Addy."

"Well, we don't really have another option," Dean said. "Karen is on the lookout, and she's not stupid, Sam. I think she'll know to either call us or the police should anything happen. Besides, I'm not giving the vamp a chance to find them. Come on, let's go get our little girl for now. We'll deal with everything when we come to it."

They picked up Addy from Karen's and Sam got her situated in the car while Dean thanked Karen.

"We were wondering," he ventured, "If maybe you would let Addy stay over here with Sarah tomorrow night?"

"Well that would be fine," Karen said slowly. "But dare I ask what you boys will be doing?"

Dean smiled broadly. "You probably shouldn't."

"Do I need to worry about you two?" she asked in a motherly voice. "Because as Mel's friend, I think it's necessary to watch out for her younger brothers as well as her child."

"We know what we're doing, Karen," Dean assured her. "Not that we're doing anything. But if we were, we would be fine."

Karen shook her head. "I guess I don't have a choice but to trust you. There was something about Mel like that too. Something that almost scared me at times. I guess it must be a Winchester thing, huh?"

Dean smiled. "Yeah, probably. But whatever else happens, Karen, we'll keep Addy safe. No matter what."

Karen shook her head again. "You do what you have to do, Dean. I can't stop you."

"We're not doing anything," he said then was surprised when she pulled him into a hug.

"Just take care of yourself, because Addy really needs you two right now."

"Yeah, I know," Dean sobered, releasing her. "Thanks, Karen. I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right, don't do anything stupid."

He grinned. "Stupid? Of course not!"

She didn't look too impressed, but Dean knew she wasn't going to say anything further. He went to the car and they drove back to the motel for the night. Dean couldn't wait until the vamp was taken care of. Then maybe he could stop looking over his shoulder for a while.

* * *

><p><em>The next day<em> they met Richards in the park and Addy let him play with her more this time. Sam helped Addy get across the monkey bars while Dean sat on the bench, tense, watching the surroundings to make sure the vamp wasn't there. He felt watched, but that might be because he was anticipating the hunt that night. He hadn't seen the vamp, but he didn't trust it not to be somewhere nearby.

While Addy asked Sam to play hide and seek, Richards came over and sat next to Dean on the bench. Dean cast a sideways glance over at him.

"How you doing with this?" he asked, nodding to Addy.

Richards let out a breath, hands pressed between his knees. "I don't know. I want to be good at it; I want to learn to take care of Addy like I should. I've just never had any experience." He turned to Dean. "I guess you don't have kids, but you seem really good at it."

Dean smiled grimly and nodded to Sam who was 'seeking' for Addy even though he could obviously hear her giggling. "I wouldn't say I'm good at it, but I had lots of practice with Sammy. I pretty much raised the kid after our mom died."

Richards frowned. "I'm sorry. That must have been tough."

"We turned out all right," Dean shrugged, turning to watch his brother pull Addy out of the covered slide with a laugh, the little girl shrieking.

"You know I want what's best for Addy," Richards told him. "And I'll do whatever I have to to prove that to you."

"Hey, Richards," Dean said, turning to him and slapping him on the shoulder. "I think you'll do okay. You're already starting to win Addy over."

"You think?" Richards asked, glancing over at the girl who was sitting on Sam's shoulders, her hands in his hair as he pretended to be a horse.

"As long as you keep trying," Dean told him. He checked his watch, looked around the park again but only saw a mother and two young children walking toward them. They would let Addy play for a little longer before heading for lunch. He felt bad for keeping her cooped up in the motel room so much, but if it kept her safe, he was willing to do anything.

Finally, though, he decided it was time to leave. Staying in one place too long didn't sit well with him right now.

"Hey, Ads, you ready to go have some lunch?" he called.

She nodded and ran to him, raising her arms so he would pick her up. Dean settled her on his hip and smiled at her. "Did you say goodbye to your dad?"

She shook her head slightly and he raised his eyebrows at her. She wiggled so he would put her down and then ran to Richards and hugged his leg, bidding him goodbye before running back to Dean.

"You're getting better, Addy," Dean told her. "Now we're going to have some lunch, before we get you packed up and ready to go to Aunt Karen's house tonight."

She clutched her hands in his jacket, and reached out to play with the amulet that he wore around his neck. "Why can't I stay with you tonight?" she asked quietly.

"Don't you want to stay with Sarah?" Sam asked her.

She nodded. "Yes, but can you stay too?"

Dean smiled. "Uncle Sammy and I have some things to get done tonight, but we'll come get you first thing in the morning."

"What are you doing?" Richards asked curiously, a frown between his brows.

Dean turned to pin him with a look. "We've got some business to see to tonight."

"What kind of business?" Richards asked suspiciously.

"It's just a family thing," Sam said quietly. Thank goodness for Sammy and his honest face, Dean thought wryly. Richards relaxed a bit.

"How late will you be out?" he asked.

"Don't know for sure," Dean told him. "Sometime past midnight at least."

"Well, I could watch Addy in your room if you want," Richards offered hesitantly. "That way she would be there when you got back."

Sam and Dean shared a look. There were several problems with that. One, could they trust the vamp not to slip them and take Addy from their room, two, if the hunt went bad and one of them were injured, they couldn't just go back to Addy like that right away. And three, did Dean really trust Aidan Richards? He wasn't entirely sure about that.

"Well?" Aidan asked, his hands in his pockets, shifting his gaze between the two brothers.

Sam shrugged. "I know Karen doesn't mind, Dean, but if Addy gets worried…"

Dean looked down at the face of the little girl, her eyes meeting his. "Would you stay with your daddy for a few hours tonight, let him put you to bed if we promised to be back?"

Addy continued to play with his amulet, running it along the cord.

"Addy?" he asked.

She looked back up at him. "Okay," she said in a small voice. "If you promise t'come back."

"Oh, I promise, sweetie," Dean told her, kissing her forehead. He turned to Richards. "We'll need you there by eleven. We'll see if she'll go to sleep by then."

Richards looked relieved, a happy smile coming over his face. "Great! I'll be there. See you later, Addy."

"That was very good of you, Addy," Sam told her. "You're dad's going to take good care of you."

"Okay," she said quietly. "I'm hungry."

"Me too, kiddo, let's go eat!"

Dean called Karen later and told her the new arrangement. The woman wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea of Melissa's ex-boyfriend looking after Addy so soon after being reintroduced, but she trusted Sam and Dean to make that call. Dean told her he would leave her number in case he and Sam couldn't be reached.

They ate dinner in the motel room again that night, and Sam read to Addy for a long time while Dean went out to the Impala and got things ready for their hunt that night, sharpening the machetes and filling syringes with dead man's blood. He closed the trunk to hide his arsenal when he saw Richards pull up into the parking lot. He hailed the man and showed him to the room.

Addy still wasn't asleep, even though she had looked tired most of the day. She was fretting about them leaving, he could tell; her eyes were bright and she had one hand clenched in Sam's sleeve as he sat beside her on the bed to read to her. She looked even more worried when Dean came in with Richards.

"Hey, Addy," Richards told her with a smile.

She didn't greet him but reached out to Dean who sat beside Sam and pulled her into his arms.

"Listen to me, big girl," he told her firmly. "You be good, okay? I promise Uncle Sam and I will be back, but you've got to try to sleep, because I want to hear that you've been a good girl when I get back, okay?"

"But I don't want you to go!" she whimpered, gabbing his shirt. "I don't want to lose you and Uncle Sammy like Mommy!"

"Hey, hey," Dean shushed her, stroking her hair back soothingly. "We are going to be right back here, okay? I promise."

She sniffed, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Promise?"

Dean wiped her tears away. "Promise."

He settled her back into the bed and turned to Richards who was standing by awkwardly. He settled a hand on the other man's shoulder. "You'll do fine. Lock up after us, and call us if anything happens. Do not let any strangers come in, and if anyone tries, call the police."

"Okay," Richards said, looking slightly annoyed before he softened, seeing the seriousness in Dean's eyes. "I'll look after her."

"You better," was the last thing Dean told him before he closed the door behind him. He looked over at Sam. "Let's gank this thing."

* * *

><p><em>Dean drove to the parking lot<em> across the street and cut the lights.

"What are we doing?" Sam asked.

"I have a hunch," Dean told him, handing him a thermos of coffee. "Drink up, it might be a while."

A couple hours later, nearly one o'clock, Dean was nodding off when Sam nudged him sharply.

"Dean, look."

Dean was suddenly alert as he looked across the street to the motel parking lot. A tall figure in a dark hoodie was crossing the lot, looking like it was heading straight for their room. Dean started the car and hurried across the street, blinding the man with his headlights. The figure twisted to avoid the brightness and Dean recognized the features of the vampire who had tried to nab Addy in the store previously.

"That's him!" Sam cried. "He's getting away!"

"Not for long." The vamp had retreated out of the parking lot, into the woods that surrounded the back of the motel and Dean, who had spent a good part of the last two days looking at the maps Sam and gotten, had a good idea of where he was going. He sped along the dark paths, several miles worth. Every once in a while he would catch sight of the vamp racing at inhuman speed through the trees. Finally, he came to a dead end, and had to slam on the breaks.

"You see him?" he asked Sam, looking around through the trees.

"No, I think he lost us."

Dean cursed and cut the engine, pulling the door open.

"I guess we continue on foot," he said, opening the trunk and retrieving their vamp-killing tools. Sam took two of the blood-filled syringes and a machete and grabbed a flashlight to show the way. Dean closed the trunk and they started off through the trees, cautiously. The vampire had all the advantage at night in an area he knew. But Sam and Dean had a mission. They had a little girl to protect.

A twig snapped somewhere to Dean's left. Sam swung the light in that direction to catch the quick blur of a retreating figure. Dean gripped the blade tighter in his hand, reaching into his jacket pocket for one of the syringes, which he held backhanded, ready in case the vamp came to close quarters.

Another rustle and Sam swung the light the other way.

"Dean," he hissed and they turned around, breath catching in their throats. Was it just taunting them?

"Where is it?" Dean hissed as Sam swung the flashlight beam around, looking for movement and finding none.

"I don't know, we just had it," he said in frustration.

Something cracked overhead and Dean looked up just in time to see a dark figure leap out of a tree at him. He yelled as he was born to the ground by the vampire, getting a full view of the fangs ready to tear his throat out.

"Dean!" Sam shouted even as Dean brought the syringe up and stabbed it into the vampire's thigh.

Sam swung his machete at its head, but it ducked and rolled off of Dean, staggering away as it ripped the syringe out of its leg before running off.

Dean leapt to his feet as Sam handed him his dropped blade. "Come on, we gotta get it now, he'll be weakened by the dead man's blood."

They were about to follow the trail of the vamp when Dean's phone rang, nearly scaring the daylights out of him.

"Dean!" Sam cried.

"Hold on," Dean said, only one thing on his mind right then, even above the hunt, and that was Addy. He pulled his phone open. "Hello?"

"Dean?" it was Richards, and Dean's heart clenched as he heard Addy crying in the background.

"What happened, what did you do to her?" Dean demanded, catching Sam's attention.

"Addy's sick," Richards told him tiredly. "She won't let me take care of her, she's asking for you and Sam. I'm sorry to bother you but I think she needs you. I—I don't know what to do."

Dean looked at Sam and cursed under his breath. "All right, we'll be there. Tell her we'll be there." He closed the phone and cast one look back at the forest where the vamp waited for them. It almost physically hurt not to kill it.

"Come on," he said to Sam. "Addy's sick. The vamp won't come back tonight with that dose of dead man's blood. We gotta take care of our little girl."


	12. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter as promised! Hope you all enjoy!**

**This chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle**

Chapter Eleven

Sam scrambled into the front seat of the Impala and slammed the door shut behind him. "Did Richards say what was wrong with her?" he panted as his heart pounded in his chest, partly from chasing the vamp and partly from his fear for Addy.

"No, but I could hear her crying," Dean ground out as he stepped on the gas and the car shot forward.

"She was quiet today," Sam mused out loud.

"I thought she was worried about lunch with Richards and then being left with him tonight," Dean sighed. His chest felt heavy with guilt.

"I thought the same thing, Dean. There was no way we could have known." When his brother remained quiet, Sam knew that Dean was blaming himself.

When Dean pulled the Impala into a parking space in front of their room a short time later, both boys hurried from the car. Dean shoved the key into the motel room's door and pushed it open. They were greeted with the sound of retching from the bathroom followed by Addy's choked sobs.

Dean hurried forward and pushed past a panicked Aidan who was hovering beside the vomiting child. "Uncle Dean is here, Ads," he murmured as sat on the cold tile floor beside his niece and tugged her into his arms. She was shaky and her skin felt clammy to the touch. Her breaths came in quivering gasps as tears coursed down her cheeks.

"I don't feel good, Uncle Dean," she whimpered as she curled against him miserably.

"I know, kiddo," he soothed as he brushed her blonde hair back from her sweaty face.

Sam entered the room and reached over Richards to hand Dean a pony tail holder for Addy's hair.

Dean pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail just as the child lurched forward to vomit into the toilet once again. Before Dean could ask, Sam was handing him a cool, damp washrag and a cup of water. When Addy flopped back against him in exhaustion, Dean helped her rinse her mouth and spit before he wiped her face with the damp rag.

"It's going to be okay," Dean murmured as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her blonde head.

She shivered and pressed against his chest. "I'm cold."

"I'll get a blanket," Aidan replied. He hurried into the other room and Sam took the opportunity to kneel next to his brother and Addy.

Sam reached out to cup his niece's face. "You will feel better in a day or two, princess," he murmured. "Uncle Dean and I will take good care of you."

Addy yawned as her fingers clutched Dean's shirt in a tight grasp. "When I'm better can we have a tea party, Uncle Sammy?"

Sam's eyes widened and lifted from Addy's to meet those of his brother. Dean's green eyes glinted with the hint of laughter. "Sure, Addy," Sam promised. "You and I will have a tea party."

"Uncle Dean, too," she sighed as she nuzzled her cheek against Dean's shirt.

Sam bit back a smirk at the look of alarm that appeared on his brother's face.

Addy suddenly let go of Dean and jerked towards the toilet. He rubbed her back as she vomited once again and then Sam handed her a cup of water so she could rinse the foul taste from her mouth. She fell back against Dean exhausted. "Uncle Dean, you are good at taking care of me when I'm sick," she sighed tiredly.

"That's because he used to take care of me when I was sick," Sam explained to her as he lowered himself to the floor beside his niece and brother.

Aidan returned then and handed Dean a blanket. "I had to strip if off one of the beds," he explained.

Dean nodded and shifted to drape it around Addy. She curled into it and shivered.

"Why did Uncle Dean take care of you, Uncle Sammy?" Addy asked around a yawn. "How come your daddy didn't take care of you?"

Sam could feel both Dean's and Aidan's eyes on him. "Our dad worked a lot, Addy, and Dean helped look after me when Dad was at work."

"'Cause Uncle Dean's your big brother," she stated as her eyes began to droop.

Dean ran a hand over the child's forehead and winced. She was burning with fever. "We need to get her some medicine."

"I'll go," Richards offered. "She feels more comfortable with the two of you here," he explained, "but I don't know what to get."

Sam frowned. "I'm not sure what to tell you to get. Maybe someone at the store will know. I think there's one of those all night pharmacies a few blocks down the road."

Aidan nodded. "I'll be back soon, Addy," he promised. "I will try to find some medicine to help you feel better."

She nodded drowsily from Dean's lap.

"Lock the door behind you," Dean called after Richards. He and Sam waited in silence until they heard the lock click on the door. "I think we should stay in the bathroom a while until we make sure her stomach has settled," Dean told his brother.

Addy had drifted off against him, her cheeks flushed bright red with fever. She stirred slightly and shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Poor kid. I hate throwing up." Sam grimaced at the mere thought. "I used to cry and tell you I wanted my stomach ache to go away," he mused with a fond smile at his brother.

"You were always a big baby about it, Samantha," Dean smirked.

"And you'd give me ginger ale and read me stories on the couch," Sam continued when his brother began to scowl at him. "I know; no chick flick moments."

Before Dean could respond, Addy shifted in his arms. "My stomach hurts," she whined.

Dean pressed a kiss to her overly-warm forehead. "Your dad will be back with some medicine soon."

Addy tugged herself from his grasp and gripped the edge of the toilet. She could feel the familiar sensation stirring in the pit of her stomach. She choked out a sob and then gagged. Her nearly empty stomach clenched painfully.

Sam stood and rinsed out the washcloth before folding it and placing it gently on the back of her neck. "Maybe a cool bath will help her fever," he suggested.

Dean nodded and once Addy's stomach had settled for the moment Sam ran her a bath. Dean helped her out of her sweaty pajamas and into the tub. The child shivered with chills, but Dean gave her a quick bath while Sam went to fetch the thermometer from the first aid kit.

When Sam returned he not only had the thermometer, but also a fresh pair of pajamas for Addy. Dean helped her out of the tub and into her pajamas. She curled limply against him.

"Do you feel like you're going to throw up, Ads?" he asked softly.

"No, but I'm cold," she whimpered.

Sam picked up the blanket and held out his arms. Dean reluctantly passed off his precious cargo and watched as Sam cuddled Addy close.

"Uncle Sammy," Addy slurred drowsily, "can we have our tea party now?"

Sam chuckled. "As soon as your fever goes away and you feel up to eating, princess."

"'Kay," she yawned as she snuggled against him.

Sam settled on the bed with Addy in his lap. Dean placed the small bathroom trashcan at his side and pressed the thermometer into Addy's mouth. When it beeped, he checked the digital readout. "It's one hundred point seven," he sighed with a frown.

A soft knock alerted them that someone was at the door. "It's me," Richards called.

Dean let him in and took the bag from him. "What did you get?"

"The cashier had kids of her own and helped me out," Aidan admitted. "She suggested Pedialyte so that Addy doesn't get dehydrated and some Children's Tylenol."

Dean picked up the packages and read the dosage directions. "Sam, see if you can wake her up enough to get some Tylenol in her."

Dean poured the red liquid into the tiny plastic cup before checking and rechecking the measurement. Sam poured the sticky substance into a drowsy Addy's mouth. She winced and gagged. Sam reached for the trashcan just as the child spit up the Tylenol and the tiny little bit that was left in her stomach.

Aidan poured some Pedialyte into a cup and handed it to Dean. "Maybe she can keep some of this down and then we can try the Tylenol again."

Dean nodded and handed the cup to Sam. Addy whined and pushed it away when he held it to her lips.

"Just a tiny bit," Sam urged. "If that stays down, we'll try another one."

Addy took the tiniest of sips and then settled back against Sam's chest with a tired sigh. It didn't take long for the tiny bit of drink to come back up and then she was dry heaving painfully into the trashcan. "No more, Uncle Sammy," she begged.

Sam looked up at his brother mournfully and Dean gave him a slight nod. "No more for now, princess," Sam assured her with a kiss to her overly warm forehead. "You go to sleep and we'll try again when you wake up. Maybe your tummy will feel better then."

Addy sniffled and curled up against Sam so that her cheek was resting against his chest. Sam leaned back against the headboard and wrapped the blanket snuggly around the shivering child in his arms.

"Rest will be good for her," Dean murmured into the room's quiet stillness.

"Is it okay if I stay a while?" Richards asked anxiously. "I want to make sure she's going to be okay."

Sam nodded toward the room's small table and two chairs. "Make yourself at home, Aidan. Have some coffee. We've got plenty."

Dean ran a hand through his hair and went to make a pot. He needed some of the strong, dark brew. It was going to be a long night. He fixed two mugs of coffee and joined Richards at the table.

"I think maybe she's getting a little more comfortable around me," the man began hesitantly.

Dean studied him a moment before answering. "It's just going to take time. Addy's had the ground pulled out from under her. She needs to find her footing."

"She's an amazing little girl," Aidan continued. "I didn't know it was possible to love someone so much that you just met, but I loved her as soon as I knew she existed." His eyes showed the truth behind his words.

Dean swallowed hard and felt jealousy flare in the pit of his stomach. There was a part of him that longed for Addy to belong to him and Sam or even to be his own little girl. But she wasn't and never would be, and it was better for Addy that way. She would be safer and happier with Aidan Richards. He knew that now. It wasn't time to let her go yet, though; Addy was still not comfortable with him, and Dean was going to make sure that Addy felt safe with him before she moved in with her dad.

A soft snore distracted him from his thoughts. He looked to the bed to see Sam sleeping soundly with his neck twisted at an awkward angle. His little brother was going to be sore when he woke up. Dean's eyes strayed to Addy and he frowned. Her cheeks were bright red, much more flushed than they had been a short while ago.

As he was watching, the child shifted against Sam with a moan before her eyes flew open. She sat up and promptly vomited whatever had been left in her stomach all over the front of Sam's shirt.

Sam jolted awake in alarm. Addy began to sob as Dean lifted her gently from his brother's lap and carried her to the bathtub. Aidan ran a cool bath while Dean stripped Addy out of her soiled pajamas. Soon she was clean once again and dressed in one of Uncle Dean's t-shirts since all of her pajamas were now dirty.

Aidan volunteered to take the dirty clothes to the twenty four hour laundry mat so that Addy would have pajamas to wear. He promised to hurry back as soon as he could.

Dean tucked Addy into bed. Thankfully, the vomit had all landed on Uncle Sammy, so the bedclothes were clean.

Addy peeked mournfully out from under the covers at her Uncle Sammy. "Are you mad at me?" she sniffled.

"Why would I be mad, princess?" Sam asked as he sat beside his niece and stroked a tender hand over her blonde hair.

"'Cause I threw up on you," Addy nearly wailed as huge tears rolled down her cheeks.

"That was an accident, sweetie. You're sick. I'm not mad." Sam bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now you try to sleep so that you will feel better. I am looking forward to that tea party."

"'Kay, Uncle Sammy," she yawned. "Night, Uncle Dean."

"'Night, kiddo," Dean responded as he tucked the blankets tightly around the small child. "I'll be right here if you need me, okay? I'm going to sit next to you on the bed and read." He held up a car magazine.

Addy nodded miserably and closed her eyes.

Dean must have dozed off. He woke to find that he had dropped his magazine and it had slid to the floor. Aidan had yet to return from the Laundromat and judging from the sound of running water in the bathroom Sam was taking a shower.

Dean yawned and turned to check Addy. Her cheeks were an alarming shade of red. "Addy," he called gently as he reached out to cup her cheek. His heart began to pound when she didn't respond. "Addy!" he said a bit louder this time as he shook her arm. She didn't move. "Sam! Get out here! Sam!"

The water in the bathroom was immediately turned off. The bathroom door opened and Sam stepped into the room dripping water onto the carpet. He had hastily wrapped a towel around his waist. "Dean, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't wake her up!" Dean was on his knees beside Addy now. He grasped her by both shoulders and shook her.

Sam joined his brother as he kept a tight grip on the towel. "Addy?" he called frantically.

A low moan escaped the child's throat. It took several moments, but she finally opened her eyes.

"There's our girl," Dean sighed in relief. He looked up at his brother. "We're taking her to the hospital."

Sam nodded and hurried to get dressed before grabbing the keys to the Impala. "You hold her and I'll drive. I'll call Richards from the car."

Dean wrapped Addy in the blanket and hoisted her into his arms. "It's gonna be okay, kiddo. Uncle Dean isn't going to let anything bad happen to you." Even as Dean spoke the words, he hoped he could keep his promise.


	13. Chapter 12

**We're coming down to the climax now! Thanks as always for the reviews and favs. I hope everyone is having a good holiday season and not going too crazy :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**This chapter was written by: LadyWallace**

Chapter Twelve

Dean sat anxiously by the hospital bed, his hands clasped tightly together and propping up his chin, elbows resting on his knees. He hated hospitals, but Addy needed the kind of help he and Sam couldn't give her alone, so he could endure this for her, even if he was going to be an anxious wreck by the time they were done.

Addy had been suffering from moderately severe dehydration when they brought her in, as she hadn't been able to keep anything down, and that had caused her fever to spike beyond what was healthy. But now she was sleeping at least restfully, connected to an IV and they had given her something to keep her from throwing up.

Dean sighed and rubbed his hands over his face shakily. He had been so scared when he woke to find Addy unresponsive. It had been a long time since he had been that scared, and the only thing that had ever induced fear like that was Sammy being in danger.

He pulled the chain from under his shirt that held Melissa's locket—he had taken to wearing it regularly, and sheepishly realized he hadn't shown it to Sam yet. He liked fingering the smooth gold, thinking of his big sister. The fact that he might not have had to be the eldest sibling made him nearly dizzy to think about. How different would it have been, would everything have been, if Mel hadn't been kidnapped as a child? Would anything really have changed? Would their mother still have died? He dropped the locket back under his shirt, deciding it wasn't worth thinking about. Knowing their family, something would have still happened. The Winchesters just didn't have luck to their names.

He turned as he heard the door to the room open and gave a small smile at Sam who had gone for coffee.

"Hey," he said quietly, sitting in the chair next to Dean's and handing him a hot coffee. "How is she?"

"Still sleeping," Dean said, watching the child a few moments before he continued. "She'll be all right, Sammy."

"How are you?" Sam asked gently, his hazel eyes searching Dean's face in a knowing way only a brother could.

Dean didn't answer for a long time, worrying Sam. Usually he would come back with the traditional 'I'm fine' but this really had taken a toll on him.

"Dean?"

Dean ran a hand over his face. "I don't think I've ever been so scared, Sam. Imagine if we…if I had slept a little longer—I can't." He bent over his knees and buried his face in his hands.

Sam shifted so he could rest his shoulder against Dean's, a silent support, his own chest clenching as he remembered the horror he had felt as well, made only worse by seeing his older brother in near panic.

He let Dean compose himself and scrub his eyes roughly before he spoke again.

"Aidan called me when I was getting coffee. He'll be here soon."

"Okay," Dean said. Richards had gone back to the motel room to pick up some of Addy's things for her, which Sam and Dean had forgotten in their haste to get her to the hospital.

As if on cue, Addy's father strode through the door, carrying Addy's suitcase. He went straight over to the bed, a strained look of anxiety on his face.

"How is she?" he asked the brothers.

"The doctor says she'll be better by morning, once she gets some sleep and fluids into her," Sam told him gently, watching as the man passed a hand uncertainly over the little girl before settling on resting it gently over her own hand.

Richards nodded, relief clear in his face. "I'm so sorry this happened. I just didn't know what to do. I've never taken care of a sick child before."

"That's okay," Sam assured him. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Aidan scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "I don't think I did anything right either. I'm afraid I won't make a very good dad."

"You'll do fine," Dean said, surprising everyone, even himself. "You've just gotta learn. And you'll get there."

Aidan looked at him with respect. "Thanks, Dean. That means a lot."

Dean shrugged grudgingly, then said, "Look, there's no reason all of us have to stay here tonight. You two go home and get some sleep, and I'll stay with Addy for tonight. One of you can spell me in the morning."

"Are you sure?" Aidan asked, obviously torn with wanting to stay with Addy but figuring it would be best if she saw one of her uncles there when she woke up.

"I won't sleep tonight anyway," Dean said truthfully, drinking some coffee. "I'll call if anything happens."

"All right," Aidan sighed. "I'll be back in the morning. Thank you for looking after her, Dean."

"That's my job," Dean said quietly, almost so much so that Aidan could barely hear him. Sam did, and gave him a look but didn't say anything. He stood too, resting a hand on Dean's shoulder.

"You sure you'll be okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," Dean opened his jacket discretely and revealed the pommel of a knife and a couple syringes of dead man's blood.

"How did you…? Never mind," Sam said, shaking his head, figuring that a sick little girl could give anyone a pass. He turned to kiss Addy on the forehead before leaving with Richards.

Once Dean was alone, he lost all façade of being the strong one and wrapped one of Addy's hands protectively in his as he brushed her hair out of her face, feeling the warmth that radiated from her skin, not nearly as badly as before.

"What am I going to do without you, my girl?" he whispered as he leaned over and kissed her forehead then folded his arms on the bed and rested his head against them, exhausted despite what his mind was telling him. To his surprise, he fell asleep easily enough.

* * *

><p>"<em>Uncle Dean."<em>

Dean woke the next morning to the hoarse voice and a small hand running through his hair. He started slightly and pulled his head up, seeing Addy's sunken, tired eyes staring at him, her hand still clutched in his hair. He smiled at her and took her hand in his.

"Hey, Addy, how are you feeling?"

"Don't know," she replied with a yawn, looking around hesitantly. "Tired. Where are we, Uncle Dean?"

Dean reached out to brush her hair back. "You were really sick last night, sweetie, we had to take you to the hospital. But you're feeling better now."

"Am I gonna throw up again?" she asked weakly.

"I don't think so," Dean told her. "Would you like some water?"

She nodded and he grabbed a cup and a straw from the side table, pouring water for her and helping her drink it. She took a few sips before he pulled it away, knowing too much too soon would be a bad idea.

"Can we go home?" she asked.

"Not yet, sweetheart, we have to make sure you're well again." He stood up and unzipped her suitcase Richards had brought the night before, pulling out her dolls. "Here, Ads, your daddy brought some of your things last night." He tucked the dolls into the blankets beside her and Addy cuddled them close.

"Where's Uncle Sammy?" she asked, looking around. "And my daddy."

Dean was glad (or something) that she at least remembered to mention Richards now. "They're getting some rest, but they'll be back later."

She nodded, then reached out to him. "Can you sit with me on the bed?"

Dean cast a look around for disapproving nurses before he shrugged. "I don't see why not. Scoot over." He dangled one leg off the small bed but pulled the little girl close to his side, and she turned and rested her head against his chest. He kissed the top of her head as she closed her eyes again.

"Try and sleep some more Addy, the more you rest, the sooner we can get out of here."

"Okay," she said drowsily and before long she was asleep again.

Dean had never been a praying man, but he said a prayer of thanks that day that he was able to hold that little girl in his arms just then, because there had been a few moments the night before when he had feared he wouldn't have the chance.

Now all he needed to do was get the vamp who was after her so she could be safe as he promised.

* * *

><p><em>Sam and Aidan came back<em> first thing in the morning, finding Dean dozing on the bed with Addy. He started awake and reached an instinctive hand into his jacket before he realized who it was. Thankfully Richards didn't seem to see his motion, having eyes only for the little girl who was waking slowly.

"Hey, Addy," he said, grabbing a chair and pulling it up to sit beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better, I think," she said shyly.

Dean stood up from the bed and stretched, trying to hide his weariness. Sam gave him a look.

"Why don't you go back to the room and sleep, Dean," he suggested. "We can stay here."

"I'm good, just need to get some more coffee into me."

"Yeah, and you're about to fall over," Sam told him firmly. "So go get a few hours. We've got stuff to do tonight, remember?" he added in a low voice.

Dean sighed, giving in. "Yeah, all right. Give me the keys." He went back over to Addy.

"I'm going back to the room to get some sleep, Addy," he told her. "I'll be back later, I promise, so you be good for your dad and Uncle Sammy okay?"

She nodded, though looked sad he was leaving. That made it all the more hard for Dean to walk out that door, but if he was going to protect her properly, he needed to take care of himself too. Some breakfast would be in order first, he decided.

Sam and Aidan took turns reading to Addy until the nurse came to check up on her, and brought her something to eat for breakfast. Later, Karen and Sarah surprised them by showing up.

"Karen, I didn't expect you," Sam said with surprise as he hugged her.

"Dean called me to tell me what was going on," she said as Sarah ran to Addy and climbed up onto the bed to talk to the little girl. "Sarah wanted to visit her." She cast a judging look at Richards. "So, how's he doing?"

"He's not a bad guy, just thrown into things kind of abruptly," Sam assured her. "Addy's taking to him slowly, but I think she'll warm up to him fully before long."

"So do you think he'll take her?" Karen asked quietly.

Sam nodded, the idea paining him. "Yeah. As long as everything goes okay."

"Well, you let me know," she told him, then leaned closer. "So, is Addy still in danger?"

"The man's still out there," Sam told her simply. Not sure what Dean had told Karen previously, though it seemed she had guessed they were taking matters into their own hands.

"If you need me to stay with her, just let me know. Or bring you anything. If you want food or something. I know hospital fair is terrible."

Sam smiled. "Thanks, I think we're good. Dean's bringing something when he comes back."

"All right," Karen said then went over to see Addy and Sam introduced her to Aidan. He stood back and watched the girls talk, Sarah getting Addy to laugh several times before Karen decided it was a good idea to leave so she could get some rest.

"She should be out tomorrow; they just wanted to keep her for observation," Sam told her. "We'll let you know."

"Thank you, Sam. Get better, Addy!" Karen called to her.

Dean came back shortly afterward with lunch and they spent most of the day entertaining Addy, though as the afternoon waned, the Winchesters got more and more restless, knowing they had a hunt that night and ready to get it over with.

Finally, night settled and Addy was sleeping peacefully after getting a good bit of food into her at dinner. Richards was happy just sitting by her side and watching over her, so Sam and Dean ran down to the cafeteria for a quick meal before they went hunting.

"Do you think we should leave her with Richards?" Dean asked as they sat down to eat. "You could stay with them and I could go gank the vamp."

"No, Dean, I'm coming with you," Sam told him firmly. "This thing killed our sister, if you think I'm going to sit it out, you're crazy."

"We also have a duty to protect our niece," Dean reminded. "If we can't do that, then we've failed Melissa anyway."

"Dean, that dead man's blood will have worn off by now, and that vamp seems to have some sort of vendetta against us as well; he's not going to go down without a fight. I'm not going to risk you too! If we gank this thing then Addy is safe. He won't have a chance to come after her again."

Dean sighed. "All right, but we are not coming back until that thing is dead and buried."

"I can definitely agree with you on that," Sam said.

* * *

><p><em>Aidan Richards watched Addy sleep<em>. His daughter. How could he ever deserve to have something so precious? It was unfathomable to him, but here she was, and she was his, and he really did hope that she would want to be his too. He could appreciate and understand her attachment to Sam and Dean, and he didn't hate them for it, but he really wanted that too, hoped that one day he would have that.

She stirred slightly in her sleep and the blanket fell off her shoulder. He moved to rearrange it, tucking it up to her chin. He stroked a hesitant hand over her forehead, brushing aside the soft, blond hair, and was glad to see that the fever was all but gone. Hopefully his daughter would feel much better tomorrow.

The door creaked open and he turned around, expecting to see Sam and Dean, but instead saw a hooded man enter. He frowned, standing up protectively in front of Addy.

"Hey, wrong room, buddy," he said.

The man closed the door behind him and locked it before lowering his hood, a grin spreading across his face. "No, I got the right one," he said as his grin seemed to widen and his teeth…they grew?

Aidan staggered back at the inhuman picture, stumbling into the bed and waking Addy. Aidan cast a glance at the closed door, judging whether he could pick Addy up and make a run for it before this man got to them.

But he didn't have another instant to think before the man launched himself forward with inhuman speed and threw Aidan against the far wall of the room. The breath was knocked out of him painfully and he slumped, gasping on the ground, watching in horror as Addy whimpered in her bed, while the man advanced on her.

"Oh, you will be beautiful, sweet child," the man said. "You come and live with my family. I will be so much better of a father to you than this weakling."

"Get away from her!" Aidan somehow managed to gasp, hauling himself to his feet and picking up a chair. He swung it at the man and it broke over his back. It brought the intruder to his knees, but he was recovered and back on his feet in less than a second.

"Uncle Dean!" Addy screamed. "Help!"

Aidan swung the broken chair arm toward the man, but he caught his wrist, wrenching it back so hard Aidan felt a crack. He gasped in pain as he was shoved against the wall. The man's teeth grew again, and they really did lengthen, becoming long sharp needles. Aidan was so transfixed, he didn't hear the pounding at the door.

"Richards!" It was Dean's voice.

The man dropped Aidan to the floor, and he crumpled, cradling his broken wrist with his other hand. The man ran to the bed, making a grab for Addy.

"Uncle Dean, Uncle Sammy!" she screamed, scrambling to get away as the man grabbed at her. She got caught in her blankets and fell with a scream onto the floor, before lying still.

"Addy!" Richards yelled, trying to get up again.

The man turned back on him with a growl, but the door was flung open finally, and Dean came in, swinging. But before he could strike at the intruder, the man just ran for the window, jumping straight out of it. Dean ran to look, seeing the vamp fall two stories, roll, and come up limping.

"Sam!" he yelled, turning around to find his brother and Richards kneeling over Addy who was coming around from her fall but whimpering. There was blood on her face. Dean grabbed Richards by the front of his shirt.

"Get a doctor in here, Sam and I have to leave."

"What was that?" Aidan gasped, still in shock.

"Do as you're told!" Dean commanded him, pulling him closer. "You take care of that girl, or I will come back and break the rest of your bones, do you understand?"

"Yes," Aidan said. "But you're going after that man alone?"

"Don't send anyone after us," Sam said. "Just say someone attacked you."

"Sam!" Dean called, already half out the door. He knew that if he didn't leave now, he wouldn't be able to. He had to block all images of a wounded Addy out of his mind.

The brothers ran out of the hospital, Dean flashing his fake FBI badge and telling nurses to make for Addy's room. No one seemed to question it and they made it out of the hospital just in time to see the vamp disappear into a thick forest behind the building. Dean cursed.

"Do you have your flashlight?" he asked Sam as they entered the forest, no other option.

"Yeah, here," Sam said, turning it on and holding his knife in the other hand.

"We're not gonna let him go this time, Sam," Dean growled. "No way."

"No way," Sam agreed. "Come on."

They hurried into the woods, Dean could hear the vamp tracking them, it wanted them to find it, and he knew that likely meant a trap. The only good thing was that he was pretty sure this was a solitary vampire, so they'd only have to worry about one.

"Dean," Sam called softly and the elder Winchester stopped, looking around. There was silence.

"I thought I heard something," Sam said, right before a figure leapt onto him from out of a tree and he fell with a cry, hitting his head on a rock and going still.

"Sammy!" Dean screamed, leaping over a fallen tree to get to the vampire before it could hurt his brother further.

The vamp looked up at him with a hiss that turned into a chuckle. Dean swung his blade but the vampire just ducked and kicked Dean in the chest, causing him to slam up against a tree. The vamp was on him in an instant his hand around Dean's throat, lifting him almost off his feet.

"It's my lucky night," the creature said with a grin. "Soon, I'll have wiped out all of John Winchester's family. And then he'll know my pain when he did the same to me."

"Is that what this is about?" Dean choked out, gasping for breath between words.

"Your father murdered my family," the vampire howled. "My beautiful daughter!"

"You murdered my sister!" Dean ground back at him. He was working a syringe of the dead man's blood from his coat pocket. "How did you know about Melissa?"

The vamp smiled. "Your dad shouldn't have forgotten his cell phone at the crime scene. Big mistake."

Dean got the syringe out and was about to jam it into the vamp's side, but his wrist was caught in a tight grip and squeezed so hard he felt his bones grate. The syringe dropped from his nerveless fingers and the vamp dropped him, wheezing to the ground, kicking him in the ribs.

"Now I just have to deal with that weakling back in the hospital and take the little girl. She'll be one of us before long. My new daughter."

"You'll never get her," Dean said.

"Oh, I will, because you'll be dead. Eventually. I want to make sure I enjoy myself." His fangs came out, and Dean reached for his knife again, but the vamp suddenly stiffened and choked out a curse. He stumbled to the side, revealing an unsteady Sam with an empty syringe.

Dean didn't waste another minute, he flung himself onto the vamp and looked into his eyes as the creature snarled and twisted under him, his actions weakening by the second from the dead man's blood poisoning him.

"No one messes with my family," Dean told him before taking his machete in both hands and using his weight to decapitate the vampire, pushing until he felt dirt under the blade. Blood splashed his face, and he sat there panting, his throat aching, as he just looked at the beheaded creature, tears stinging his eyes.

"I got him, Mel," he whispered. "I'm sorry it took so long."

He felt Sam slump next to him, breathing heavily, and lean against his shoulder. Dean turned and pulled Sam's head into the crook of his neck, feeling tears leak from his eyes as well.

"It's over, Sammy," he whispered. "It's over."


	14. Chapter 13

**Here's another chapter for the weekend! Now there's some more H/C and fluff with the Vamp gone. Hope you all enjoy :)**

**This chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle**

Chapter Thirteen

Dean pulled into a parking spot in front the hospital's visitor's entrance. "How're ya doin', Sammy?" he asked as he glanced over at his younger brother.

"I'll live," Sam grunted, wincing as he lifted his head from the headrest of the front seat. "We need to go check on Addy." He slowly unfolded himself from the front seat of the car and swayed as the world around him began to spin.

"Hang on there, Sasquatch," Dean sighed as he jogged around the front of the car to grasp his brother's arm.

"I'm all right," Sam groaned as he regained his balance. His eyes landed on his blood-spattered brother. "Dude, you need to change before Addy sees you, Richards, too."

Dean looked down at his shirt and jacket and grimaced. As soon as he made sure that Sam wasn't going to fall over, he moved to the trunk and tossed his bloody jacket inside. He shucked out of his shirt and rummaged around until he found a rumpled t-shirt. It would have to do. Slipping into it quickly, he slammed the trunk closed and returned to his brother. "Let's go check on our girl."

Sam took a step and stumbled. His head pounded mercilessly and the world around him tipped on its side.

"And we need to get your melon examined," Dean sighed.

"Not until I know that Addy's okay," Sam protested as he swallowed back the bile that kept rising in the back of his throat.

"Stubborn," Dean growled, but he knew that he would react the same way had he been injured. All he could see was the blood dripping down Addy's face as she lay still and white on the cold hospital tile.

Sam was leaning heavily on his brother by the time they approached Addy's room. The hallway was a buzz of activity. Security guards were strategically placed at each end of the hallway and next to the nurses' station. One of them placed a hand against Dean's chest and eyed the staggering Sam warily.

"Our niece was attacked," Dean stated as he attempted to push past the man. "We need to see if she's all right."

The security guard growled, but then Addy's nurse stepped up to the Winchesters' defense. "It's all right, Hal. They really are relatives. Let them through."

The nurse, Dean thought her name was Natalie, frowned in concern when she noticed Sam's head wound. "Mr. Winchester, are you okay?"

Dean answered for Sam who was focusing on staying upright at the moment. "We chased the guy who attacked our niece. He went after Sam who fell and hit his head."

The nurse stepped forward and slipped a penlight from the pocket of her lab coat before checking Sam's pupils. She frowned. "Mr. Winchester, you have a concussion. You need to be examined by a doctor."

"Not until I see Addy," Sam grunted stubbornly.

She nodded. "Dr. Tomlinson is going to do Addy's stitches. He may need to sew up your head as well."

"Stitches?" Dean barked. He lurched forward toward his niece's room nearly dragging his brother with him.

Aidan sat on the bed and leaned back against the pillows with Addy cradled against him. She was sobbing pitifully and had a bucket in front of her in case her stomach rebelled. Aidan's wrist was wrapped and rested beside him on a pillow. Addy was cradled against his chest with his good arm as he attempted to hold an ice pack to her head.

"Hey, kiddo," Dean murmured as he hurried forward. All he wanted was to hold Addy's warm little body close and assure himself that she was going to be all right.

"Uncle Dean," she cried as she reached for him with trembling arms.

He scooped her up carefully from Aidan's grasp and held her close. She pressed her face into his neck, and he could feel her tears wetting his skin. Gently, he ran a hand over her blonde hair and checked her for any other injuries besides the gash that paralleled her hairline near her temple.

"The scan showed that everything is fine," Aidan told them with relief.

"Scan?" Dean echoed as he held Addy tighter against him and reveled in her warmth and familiar little girl smell.

"Since she was briefly unconscious they wanted to make sure everything was okay. The doctor is on his way to stitch her up," Aidan explained. "Sam, are you all right?"

Dean glanced at his brother who was looking pale and rather clammy. "Sit down before you fall down, Samantha," he sighed.

Sam sat down with a grunt. Addy pulled back from Dean to look at her other uncle. She winced as her head throbbed. "Uncle Sammy, do you have a boo-boo on your head, too?" she asked in alarm.

"Sure do, Princess," he sighed. "We have matching boo boos."

Addy frowned. "Did the man that killed Mommy make you hurt your head?"

"He did, but you don't have to worry about him anymore," Sam assured her quietly.

"Me and Uncle Sammy took care of him. He won't ever hurt anyone else again, Ads." Dean felt the little girl relax against him. Her arm wrapped around his neck, and her fingers played in the short hair on the back of his head.

"What was that thing?" Aidan asked, his eyes suddenly wide as he remembered the fangs that had grown in the man's mouth.

"We'll talk later, "Dean assured him with a careful nod toward Addy.

Aidan nodded in understanding.

A knock on the door startled them. Sam nearly groaned as the room began to spin once again when he turned his head too quickly.

"I'm Dr. Tomlinson," a young looking physician with dark hair and blue eyes greeted them. "I understand Miss Addy needs a few stiches."

"Her uncle does as well," the nurse added as she followed him into the room. "Mr. Winchester, you really need to be seen in the ER."

"She's right, Sam," Dean agreed. "I'll stay here with Ads while you and Aidan get patched up."

Sam sighed. "Come on, Aidan. Might as well get it over with."

Addy sniffled from her place in Dean's arms. "Uncle Sammy, will you stay while I get my stitches? I'm scared."

A tender smile curved Sam's lips. "Of course I will, Addy."

"Why don't you bring my patient over here, Mr. Winchester?" The doctor motioned to a chair he pulled over next to a bright light. The nurse had positioned a table of instruments nearby.

In Dean's arms, Addy tensed and buried her face in his shoulder. "This won't take long, Ads," he assured her softly.

"It's gonna hurt," she wailed.

Dean shifted the child in his arms so that she was sprawled across his chest. Then he sat in the chair so that she straddled his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her with one hand pressing her face against his shoulder. "Close your eyes," he murmured. "It will be over soon."

"Uncle Sammy," she choked out.

"I'm right here, Addy," Sam promised as he wearily pushed himself to his feet and moved to stand behind his brother. He took Addy's small hand in his much larger one and held it tightly.

Addy screamed in fear when the doctor moved toward her. Dean just held her tighter and began to sing. Her sobs lessened at the sound of his voice, so he continued singing the song his mother had sung to him as a child.

Sam listened as his brother sang "Hey Jude" to their niece. A lump formed in his throat as he remembered Dean singing it to him whenever he'd had a nightmare or couldn't sleep. Tenderly, Sam ran his thumb over the smooth skin on the back of Addy's hand as the child cried raggedly into Dean' s shoulder.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Dr. Tomlinson finished and tied off the final stitch. Dean immediately stood and continued to cradle Addy against him. She cried brokenly as her hands fisted into the soft material of his t-shirt.

"Let the ER doc look at you, Sam," Dean told his brother quietly. "I've got Addy."

Sam nodded and slipped out of the room as Dean continued to pace the floor and hold his niece close. He sang until he felt her small body begin to relax. His throat was dry and his voice jagged when Addy finally sagged limply against him in slumber.

Dean was reluctant to put her down; he needed her in his arms to assure himself that she was really okay. Carefully, so as not to wake her, Dean settled back on the bed with Addy held protectively against him.

He wasn't sure how long they'd slept before he felt the small body twitching as small moans escaped her lips. Dean's eyes flew open and he raised his hand to cup his niece's cheek. She wasn't running a fever; Addy was cool to the touch. It was a nightmare.

"Ads," he murmured softly, "everything is okay now. Uncle Dean's got you."

Addy's eyes blinked open and she stared sleepily up at her uncle. "I was having a bad dream," she yawned sleepily.

"I know," he replied softly, "but it's over now."

The little girl smiled sleepily. "I love you, Uncle Dean."

"And I love you, kiddo," he told her as he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

"When's Uncle Sammy and Daddy coming back?" she asked as she curled against his chest.

"As soon as the doctors get them all fixed up." Dean glanced at the clock that hung on the wall at the foot of the bed. "Shouldn't be too much longer now. It depends on how many other people were waiting for the doctors too."

A soft knock on the doorframe drew their attention. Sam stepped inside the room wearily; he now wore a small bandage on the side of his head beside his temple.

Addy yawned and rubbed at her eyes. "Me and you are like twins, Uncle Sammy," she told him as she pointed in the direction of her stitches. "Were you brave, too? Didja have to get stitches?"

"I didn't need stitches, Addy, so I didn't have to be as brave as you," Sam smiled as he sank into the chair beside his niece's bed.

Addy thought about that piece of information for a moment before she smiled. "You're brave, too, Uncle Sammy; you helped Uncle Dean make the bad guy go away," she assured him as she snuggled sleepily against Dean. "Where's my daddy?"

"He'll be here soon," Sam replied tiredly as he settled into a chair with a wince. "The doctor was finishing up with his wrist."

Addy had drifted off to sleep before Aidan arrived with his arm wrapped and secured in a sling. "I have to wait until the swelling goes down to get a hard cast," he grouched unhappily as he took the room's other chair.

"Shouldn't take too long," Sam tried to reassure him.

The nurse popped her head into the room and spied Addy sleeping against her uncle. "How's she doing?" she asked quietly.

Dean gave the woman a small smile as he stroked Addy's blonde hair. "She's a tough kid; she'll be fine."

The nurse nodded and then glanced toward Sam and Aidan. "The room next door is free. You guys can sleep on the beds in there until we need them."

Sam hated to leave Addy, but he was exhausted and he'd be right next door if his niece needed him. He glanced at his brother. "You'll call us if she needs us?"

Dean nodded. "Get some sleep, Samantha. Addy will be fine."

Sam scowled at his brother, but he and Aidan shuffled quietly into the empty room next door to get some sleep.

When Sam woke the next morning, his head was throbbing painfully. He glanced at the room's other bed to see that it was empty. Aidan must have gone to check on Addy. Sam sat up and grimaced as the drumbeat in his head increased exponentially. He went into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face. That helped a tiny bit, but he really needed to take something for his headache.

Sam headed next door to check in on Addy. He found her sitting on her bed next to Aidan while he read a story to her. Addy had her head leaning against her father's arm wearily. Her head probably hurt as badly as Sam's did.

"Uncle Sammy," Addy called softly.

Sam moved to the bed and smoothed a hand over Addy's blonde hair carefully. "Hey, Princess. How does your head feel this morning?"

"Hurts," Addy sighed. "Uncle Dean said I have a headache."

"I have one, too," Sam replied. "Where is Uncle Dean?"

"He went to get coffee," Aidan interjected.

"I'm back. I got you some, too, Sammy," Dean told his brother as he entered the room with two paper coffee cups clasped in his hands.

"Thanks, Dean," Sam sighed gratefully as he accepted the cup of steaming liquid.

"I saw the doctor down the hall," Dean told his niece with a smile. "He said you might get to go home today."

Addy grinned faintly. "I don't want to spend the night here tonight. It's too noisy."

"I hear ya, kiddo," Dean replied, longing for the relative quiet of their motel room. He'd hardly slept at all last night.

"Addy!"

They all turned to see Karen and Sarah standing in the doorway. Sarah clutched a book to her chest and beamed happily at her friend. Karen's observant gaze took in the pale little girl with dark circles beneath her eyes and the stitches on her temple.

"What happened?" she asked in alarm looking from Sam to Dean.

"It's a long story," Sam sighed.

"That's not for little ears," Dean added, his gaze straying to the girls as Sarah clambered up onto the bed to show Addy the book of paper dolls she'd been holding.

Karen nodded and hurried to give Addy a kiss to the forehead and fuss over her until the little girl nearly squirmed to get away so she could play paper dolls with Sarah. Karen then joined Sam, Dean, and Aidan in the corner of the little room. She eyed the girls who were now engrossed in removing the paper dolls from the book. "Okay, so now tell me what happened and I mean all of it." She fixed the Winchesters with a determined glare.

"I want some answers, too," Aidan demanded. "That thing that came after my daughter….well, it was….unnatural."

Karen's eyes darted to him. "What came after Addy and unnatural how?" she asked in confusion.

Before Aidan could answer, Dean cleared his throat. "I know Melissa had been looking for her family for a while. I'm not sure what she had unearthed about what our dad does for a living."

"Mel told me he was a private investigator," Karen replied, watching as Dean's eyes strayed to the girls before he answered her.

"He is an investigator of sorts, but we usually go by the term hunters," Dean explained.

Aidan frowned. "You mean like deer and duck hunters?"

Sam shook his head. "No, we usually hunt for things most people think don't exist – the supernatural."

Karen and Aidan both stared at them with open mouths before Karen finally spoke. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm understanding you."

Dean sighed and scrubbed a hand through his short hair. "Melissa was killed by a vampire. It wanted to get revenge on our dad. He killed its daughter."

Karen laughed nervously. "There's no such thing as vampires."

"That thing I saw…its teeth…." Aidan stammered. "It had fangs."

Sam nodded. "Dean and I grew up facing the reality that these things and many others really do exist. I can't imagine how strange it must seem to you."

Aidan ran a hand over his face. "It would be hard to believe except for what I saw going after my daughter. It wanted to turn her, to make her one of them."

Dean nearly growled. "Sam and I would have never let that happen. We would die first."

"Will others come after her now?" Aidan asked fearfully as his eyes leapt to his daughter.

Sam shook his head. "Hopefully it was just that one seeking revenge. She should be safe now."

"But she's a Winchester," Dean butted in. "Sam and I will teach you how to be prepared for whatever happens in the future."

Aidan frowned. "I was hoping she would stay with me tonight if the hospital released her. What do I need to know to keep her safe?"

Before Dean could answer, Addy interrupted the conversation. "Uncle Sammy, Uncle Dean, Daddy, come look at the paper dolls me and Sarah made." Addy proudly held up one of the paper dolls she had dressed.

Sam moved forward to inspect the doll after giving Dean a worried glance. Would Addy be willing to stay with Aidan? Could they let her go so soon after a vamp had tried to kill her? Sam's gut churned painfully and his heart cracked just a bit when he looked at the smiling little blonde on the bed. He settled down beside her and smiled as Addy leaned trustingly against him and held up her paper doll.

Dean sighed and glanced at Aidan. "I'm not sure that Addy is ready to stay with you yet."

Aidan scowled. "I love her, Dean. You know that. She's my daughter, and I want her with me. It's where she belongs."

"I'm not saying that she shouldn't live with you," Dean argued. "It's just that the last few days have been terrifying for her. She may need a few days to recoup with me and Sam before she's ready to stay with you."

Karen rolled her eyes and spoke up to diffuse the mounting tension. "Why don't you talk to Addy about it and see how she feels? She's a smart kid; she will tell you what she wants and when she's ready to try staying with her dad."

"You're right, Karen," Aidan nodded. "My daughter's wants and needs have to come first."

Dean sighed. The time was coming when he and Sam would have to give up their little girl. The very idea made him nauseas.

Dr. Tomlinson arrived before any decisions could be made. Sarah scampered to her mother's side so that he could give Addy a quick check-up. The doctor pronounced his patient well enough to go home as long as she got plenty of rest.

Addy immediately looked up at Sam and Dean. "I get to go home with you!" she enthused.

"Actually, Addy, I was wondering if you'd like to go home with me," Aidan ventured softly. "You can spend the night, and we'll have a good time."

Addy's face became pinched with anxiety. Her small fingers began to worry the front of her pajamas. "Do…do I have to?" she whimpered. "I don't want the bad man to get me again. I wanna be with Uncle Dean and Uncle Sammy. They know how to get the bad guys."

Sam still sat on the bed and he hugged Addy close. "Uncle Dean and I made the bad guy go away, Princess. He can't get you anymore."

"Please, Daddy, please let me stay with Uncle Dean and Uncle Sammy one more night." Crocodile tears welled in Addy's expressive eyes as she pleaded with her father.

Aidan couldn't stand it; he gave in. He knelt beside his daughter's bed and took her hand in his. "If you feel safe with your uncles, then that's where I want you to stay tonight. You can stay with me another night really soon."

Addy sniffled. "I'm sorry. I don't want to make you sad, Daddy."

Aidan smiled and ran a hand over his daughter's blonde hair. "I'm not upset, Addy. I'm just really excited to have you come and stay with me soon. We will talk about it so that you can get used to the idea. Tonight you can stay with your uncles."

Addy nodded and leaned back into Sam with relief. "Thank you, Daddy." She looked up and raised a hand to cup Sam's face. "I'm tired, Uncle Sammy."

He hugged her. "Then you take a nap so you'll be ready to go home as soon as we sign all of the papers." Sam stood up and tucked his precious little charge beneath the hospital blankets.

"Love you, Uncle Sammy and Uncle Dean. Love you, Daddy," Addy murmured even as her eyes closed in slumber.

"Love you, baby," Aidan murmured as he pressed a tender kiss to his daughter's brow.

Sam swallowed around the lump in his throat. He knew it would soon be time to say goodbye to Addy, and he didn't know how in the world he and Dean were going to manage it.


	15. Chapter 14

**Well, this is the second to last chapter, there's just an epilogue after this one, so I hope you all really enjoy it, and that you're okay with how it ended ;) I'll have the epilogue up Sunday. Thanks for everyone's continued support! It means a lot to us!**

**This chapter was written by: LadyWallace**

Chapter Fourteen

Dean was glad to get back to the motel with Addy. Even though he knew the vamp was dead, he just felt more secure here with Addy and Sam and knew it would be easier on the recovery.

"Now you still need to rest, Princess, so that means we get to be your personal servants for a few days," Dean told her with a grin as he settled her into the bed. "How about I sit and read to you for a while?"

Addy nodded and Dean settled onto the bed next to her with a stack of books. Sam rested his still sore head in the other bed, closing his eyes with a small smile as he listened to his brother read to Addy, memories of when he was her age coming back to him, and lulling him into a peaceful sleep. Things actually felt good for the first time in a long while, and he didn't think he would be plagued with nightmares that night.

When Dean finished the third book, he looked over at his sleeping brother with a fond smile. He turned back to his niece. "You need anything, Ads? Does the Princess require a juice box?"

She shook her head. "Uncle Dean, do you think my daddy is sad that I didn't go home with him? I wouldn't mind, I don't think, I just wanted to be with you and Uncle Sammy tonight."

"You didn't make your daddy sad, sweetie. He wants you to go stay with him, but he also understands that you want to feel comfortable right now. You don't have to do anything until you're ready."  
>She nodded. "I would like to stay with him soon, so he won't be left out."<p>

Dean smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I think that's a good idea, Addy. Maybe in a couple days when your head's a little better."

Addy nodded, smiling. "Okay. I'd like a juice box now."

That night Dean read Addy to sleep and she fell asleep against his side, one hand clutched in his shirt, her cheek resting on his shoulder. Dean knew he should get up to take a shower—still hadn't washed up better than a sink could provide since the hunt—but he couldn't stand the thought of moving her, so he just settled down and went to sleep.

The next morning he woke up to Sam's shuffling around in his bag for clean clothes. The younger Winchester looked over at Dean with a smile.

"You wanna take first shower?" he asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Dean told him, looking down at Addy's still sleeping form on his shoulder. His arm had fallen asleep in the night, but he didn't care.

Sam chuckled. "She has so got you wrapped around her finger."

"I don't think it's just me, Uncle Sammy," Dean shot back.

Sam made a face and went to take his shower. Addy woke up soon after and wanted breakfast, so Dean reluctantly got up to go pick up something. Later that day, Aidan came over to see Addy and they made plans that she would stay at his house the next day. Dean didn't know what to think, he didn't know if he could let her go, but he also knew it was what had to happen. Besides, this was hardly the last time they would see Addy, they had decided to stick around for a while more, to make sure she was completely settled with Aidan and to teach Richards a bit about protection and warding against the supernatural.

The next day before he came to pick her up, Sam and Dean were helping Addy pack for the night and Dean noticed she looked a little nervous.

"Hey, kiddo, everything all right?" he asked.

She looked down at her dolls, which she had been holding. "I'm just scared to stay away from you and Uncle Sammy at night. But I do want to stay with Daddy."

Dean crouched in front of her. "You'll be fine, Addy. Remember, the bad guy is gone, and he's not gonna hurt you again. I'm sure you'll have such a good time you won't even notice we're not there."

She didn't look convinced but Sam stepped in. "Maybe if it will make you feel better, you can call Uncle Dean and I if you get scared. Would that help?"

She thought about it for a minute, then nodded. Dean smiled at her. "There, see? Everything will be all right."

Sam glanced out the window and turned back with a smile. "Looks like your daddy's here, Addy. Why don't you open the door for him."

Addy scooted off the bed and opened the door as Aidan raised his hand to knock. He smiled as he saw Addy and bent to hug her awkwardly with his broken wrist.

"Hey, Addy, you ready to come to my house?"

She nodded with a small smile and hopped back into the room as Aidan entered to greet Sam and Dean.

"We're going to look at the guest room and see what we can do with it," Aidan told them with a smile at Addy. "It will be yours, Addy, and we'll have to think about what color to paint it and everything. Does that sound like fun?"

Addy nodded slowly. Sam picked up her bag and handed it to Aidan. "We told Addy that she could call us if she wanted to," he said.

Aidan nodded. "Of course. I thought maybe we could do a little shopping tomorrow, see if we can find some stuff for Addy's room. Maybe you'd like to come?"

Addy looked up at Dean and Sam and they had to concede.

"Sounds good, we'll meet you there tomorrow," Dean told him before holding his arms out to Addy. "Now come here, Princess, I need a hug before you leave!"

Addy flung her arms around him and then Sam and then hugged them both again before finally taking Aidan's hand.

"I'll call you later," she said, sounding a bit unsure of herself but Dean smiled at her.

"You'll have fun, Addy. We'll see you tomorrow."

The door closed and Dean instantly felt an ache in his chest. Something so empty. It just seemed wrong not having the little girl in the room with them. There was something definitely missing, and he found he really didn't know what to do.

Sam looked the same, and they shared a glance before going about their business.

Sam was working on his laptop, when Dean came over to him and wrapped an arm around his neck, pressing their heads together.

"Dude, what, get off!" Sam said before he realized Dean was holding a camera.

"Smile, Samantha!" Dean told him and snapped several pictures.

"What's that for?" Sam asked.

"You'll see," Dean told him self-consciously, going to put the camera away.

Sam shook his head but went back to work. Later, Dean went out to tinker with the Impala, which was what he did to keep his mind off things. Of course it also needed a tune-up, but it did help to keep him from noticing how quiet it was in the room without Addy.

He just stood there, leaning against the Impala for a moment, not wanting to accept that soon this is what it would be like again. He had never thought having a child in his life could change things so much, or that he would miss that life, but he knew he would. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was leave Addy, but he also knew it was for the best.

He didn't turn around when he heard the room door open as Sam crossed over to him.

"Dean, you okay?" he asked softly.

Dean sighed and straightened up, slowly wiping his hands on a greasy cloth before closing the hood and sitting on it. "How are we gonna leave her, Sammy?" he asked quietly.

Sam sat down next to him, their shoulders and knees touching, a familiar, comfortable position. "I don't know, Dean. I don't want to leave her either, but you know it's for the best. We can hardly keep a little girl with us. I mean, Dad dragged us everywhere, and I know you don't want that."

"No, I don't," Dean said bitterly. "I just wish we could be normal for once. Settle down. At least for a little while, until Addy gets older."

"We still have to find Dad, Dean," Sam said quietly. "And the demon that killed Mom. Maybe after that…maybe then it will all be over and we'll have a chance to be normal again."

"Yeah, maybe," Dean said, though he didn't believe it, and he knew Sam didn't really either.

Dean's phone rang, putting an end to their conversation. He fished it out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Uncle Dean?"

A smile instantly lit his face. "Hey, Addy, how's it going?"

Sam leaned in so he could listen to the call as well. "I'm good, I just wanted to talk to you," Addy said from the other end of the phone.

"Are you having fun?"

"Yes. Daddy and I are making 'pasketi and meatballs for dinner and then we're going to watch a movie and have ice cream sundaes."

"That sounds like fun," Dean told her. "Why don't you go make dinner, and you can call me again before you go to bed, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Dean! I'll talk to you later," she said.

"Bye, kiddo," Dean told her fondly as he hung up the phone. Sam smiled at him.

"Well, at least she seems to be warming up to Aidan."

Dean nodded and stood up, cleaning up his tools and putting them in the trunk. "Yeah, I'm glad. I was worried for a while that she wouldn't. As much as I hate to say it, I really like the guy."

Sam shook his head with a weary chuckle. "I know he'll take good care of Addy. I think we were all fortunate in that matter."

Dean nodded. "Yeah. We were." He closed the trunk and headed back to the motel room to wash up. "You hungry? I could do with a burger right about now."

"Yeah, I could eat," Sam said and Dean washed up before they headed to the diner for dinner.

Later, when they got back to the hotel, Dean got another call from Addy and he and Sam spent several minutes talking to her before she went to bed. Dean sighed as he hung up the phone and climbed into bed. It seemed too quiet. He had gotten used to having two other bodies in the room, and now that one wasn't there, he missed it. He missed Addy curling up against him when she had a nightmare and was too scared to sleep alone.

"Are you sure you're okay, Dean?" Sam asked before he smirked. "Because if you want we can cuddle and talk about our feelings."

Dean threw a pillow at him. "Eat me, bitch."  
>"Jerk," Sam shot back quickly with the pillow, before he pulled the covers over himself with a chuckle. Dean turned the lamp off and settled down in bed. It would only be twelve hours or so before they would see Addy again. He was just going to have to get used to it.<p>

* * *

><p><em>The next morning,<em> they got up and ate a quick breakfast before calling Aidan and making plans to meet with him and Addy to go shopping. By nine o'clock, they were at Aidan's house and Addy was waiting for them, running out the door as soon as she saw them pull up in the Impala. She threw herself into Dean's arms as soon as he got out and then did the same to Sam.

"Hey, Princess, did you miss us?" Dean asked with a grin as she grabbed his hand. "We weren't gone that long."

Addy smiled shyly. "I'm just glad to see you. Daddy says we're going shopping for my new room today. I'm excited!"

Dean smiled and picked her up, carrying her to the door. "I'm glad to hear it, it should be fun."

Aidan opened the door for them as they came up the path and shook Sam and Dean's hand in greeting as Dean put Addy down again.

"We were talking about what we might need to get for Addy's room," Aidan told them with a smile. "Addy's pretty excited to get going."

"Well, then we shouldn't waste any time," Dean told the little girl with a grin. "Let's go!"

There was already a twin bed in the guest room, but they picked out a purple and blue bed set with butterflies of all colors on it and to go with that, a pink, princess play table.

"It will be perfect for tea parties!" Addy exclaimed, turning to Sam. "You promised to have a tea party with me, Uncle Sammy!"

"I did," Sam said, smiling only for Addy. He stamped on Dean's foot when he heard a snicker escape him.

"You can come too, Uncle Dean, and you too, Daddy," Addy said.

"Sounds like fun," Aidan said with a laugh as Sam and Dean maneuvered the big box into the cart. "I suppose that means we'll have to get you a tea set."

"Yay!" Addy exclaimed, hopping up and down in excitement.

Dean couldn't help but smile. Whether he was to be tortured with a tea party or not, seeing her this happy was worth it.

They also picked out a small bookshelf, a few other toys for her and some more new clothes. Dean was glad Addy was going to have a stable life, and a good place to live. It was something he and Sam had never had. After their mom died, they had never had even had the luxury of having their own room and getting to decorate it the way they wanted. It was a novelty to Dean, something that so many kids probably didn't even think about, and it really made him so glad that, despite the fact he would hate to leave Addy behind, she would have such a good home to stay in, and a dad that loved her and was willing to raise her well and in comfort.

After they were done picking up furnishings, they went to the hardware store to pick up some paint for the room. They helped Addy pick out a light violet that would go with most of her things.

They went out for lunch afterward and then headed back to the house to get to work on everything, setting down drop clothes for the painting.

"You can stay with your uncles while the paint is drying," Aidan told Addy. "You won't be able to sleep in here for a few days."

"Okay," Addy said. "When it's all done, I want to have my tea party!"

Aidan grinned and shared a humorous glance with the brothers. "Sounds good."

They worked on painting the room that day, and Addy even helped a bit herself. By the time they finished, it was getting late, and Sam and Dean decided it was a good idea to go back to the motel so Addy could get some sleep. She said goodnight to Aidan and gave him a big hug before leaving with her uncles.

The next day, they finished setting everything up in Addy's room, putting up shelves for her toys and books and putting her clothes in the closet. The last thing they did was set up her play table. Addy was excited to see it all done.

"It's so pretty, it's just like a princess room!" she exclaimed, then hugged Aidan tightly. "Thank you, Daddy."

Aidan smiled brightly and hugged the little girl back. "You're welcome sweetie."

"I wish Mommy could see it," Addy added in a small voice.

Dean crouched down beside her and took her hands in his. "She would be happy you're happy, Addy. But how about that tea party, eh?"

She brightened instantly. "Yes! We're having a tea party. Uncle Sammy, can you get my new tea set off the shelf while I get the cookies?"

Sam grinned and grabbed the small, pink tea set that even had it's own little tray and set it on the table while Addy ran to the kitchen to get the things she had picked out at the store earlier that day on their way to Aidan's house. Dean grinned as his younger brother put the tiny tea set down.

"Aw, Samantha, playing with your tea set?"

"Shut up, Dean, this is for Addy. It never leaves this room," Sam was quick to snarl before Addy ran back in with the cookies and Aidan followed with a pitcher of fruit punch for the 'tea'. Addy quickly grabbed the serving tray as Aidan filled the teapot carefully and she arraigned the cookies onto it, then put down a plate and teacup and saucer for everyone.

"Sit down!" she commanded.

There was a very tense moment when three tall men attempted to fold themselves into the tiny pink chairs. Dean wouldn't have been able to control his laughter at seeing Sam with his knees up by his ears if he hadn't been using all his concentration not to fall over into the table. Aidan, thankfully, was a little shorter than they were, but still too big for the chair. Addy seemed satisfied though and she began to pour the 'tea'.

"Everyone gets some tea," she said.

"Thank you, Miss Addy," Sam told her with a smile, taking the cup and sipping the fruit punch.

Dean got his next and thanked Addy as well. He went to drink when Sam cleared his throat. Dean looked at him with a frown, seeing his brother's barely concealed smirk.

"Extend your pinky, Dean," he said.

"Okay, Mr. Darcy," Dean shot back but did extend his pinky. If this hadn't been for Addy, he never would have done it. Never. He wouldn't be caught dead. It just went to show how much she had grown on him.

After she had poured the tea, Addy took up the plate of cookies and went around the table, to pass them out. Sam and Aidan took one for their plates and Dean tried to take two.

"Thanks Addy!" he said with a grin. "These look delicious!"

"Uncle Dean, you only get one!" Addy told him firmly. "It's bad manners to take two cookies first!"

Dean, sheepish, put one cookie back.

"Yeah, Dean," Sam chortled then winced as Dean stepped on his foot. Dean smiled and nibbled his cookie.

They finished the tea and the cookies, while Addy played a good hostess and when they were done, the boys helped Addy clean up her things.

"Am I going back with you and Uncle Sammy tonight?" Addy asked Dean as he helped her dry the dishes and put them back onto her tray.

"Don't you want to stay here in your new room tonight?" Dean asked her.

She nodded. "Yes. I just don't want you and Uncle Sammy to leave.

"Hey," Dean told her, tugging on one of her ponytails fondly. "We're gonna stick around for a while still. There's no reason for us to get up and leave just yet."

Addy nodded, looking a little relieved. "Okay."

They stayed with her for a while longer, but as the day drew to a close, they said goodnight and went back to their motel. Dean had hoped it would get easier, but it wasn't. It probably never would. Not that he wanted it to. He was just going to have to come to terms with the fact that eventually, in a not too distant future, they were going to have to be on their way, working again, and Addy was going to have to stay there with Aidan and live a good life.

It still took him a long time to fall asleep that night though and he heard Sam tossing and turning for a while as well. It just wasn't going to be easy for either of them.

Dean finally dozed off, but was woken with a start as his phone rang. He heard Sam groan, and he reached blindly to the bedside table to grab it, sitting up and rubbing his eyes to see the number. A jolt of fear ran through him as he saw it was Aidan's number. He flipped the phone open.

"Hello?"

"Uncle Dean, I'm scared."

Addy's tearful voice sent him into a panic. He was out of bed and grabbing his clothes and weapons in a second. "Addy, what's wrong? What is it? Is something in the house?"

Sam was up, asking Dean what the matter was.

Addy sniffed. "I had a nightmare. I wanted to talk to you."

Dean sagged in relief. He dropped his machete onto the table and went over to sit on the bed as he ran a hand shakily through his hair, adrenaline still pumping through him. He held up a hand at Sam who was scared and exasperated at the same time.

"It's okay, Addy, I'm here."

"In my dream the bad man hurt Daddy and you and Uncle Sammy, and I was left all alone and I was scared and didn't know what to do." He could hear the tears in her voice and he wanted nothing more than to hold her tightly. He clenched his hand on his knee.

"It's okay, sweetie, it was just a dream. You know that would never happen. Uncle Sammy and I will never let anything happen to you. That's a promise."

"Okay," she whispered, then, "Can you sing to me, Uncle Dean?"

Dean swallowed hard. "Sure, princess." He cast a glare at Sam before he started to sing softly to Addy and listened to her sniffles stop. Finally, she said good night to him, and went back to sleep. Dean closed his phone and sat a minute before he went to put it back where it was before. He looked over at Sam and saw his younger brother smiling.

"What?" he grunted.

"You are so going soft, Dean," Sam goaded him.

"Shut up. I was scared half to death."

Sam shrugged. "Well, it was kinda sweet, that's all."

Dean shot him a look before he slid back into bed. Yeah, there was going to be no easy way leaving Addy. That was for sure.

* * *

><p><em>The days passed<em> and Sam and Dean continued with their stay in Denver, still reluctant to leave Addy when she was still suffering from occasional nightmares. Of course, they probably had to face the fact that she would have them for quite a while. The brothers were getting a bit restless though, despite their reluctance to leave, for they had never been comfortable staying in one place too long. Addy was getting more and more used to Aidan and the idea of staying with him indefinitely. She had become comfortable in his house with her room and things, making a new life for herself. Aidan also was getting more used to the idea of being a father, and he had fallen into the role not too badly for the circumstances, Dean had to admit. Despite his initial feelings toward Aidan Richards, he was now very grateful that they had found him, for now Addy would have the guarantee of a good home, and one a lot safer than if she had had to stay with Sam and Dean.

Finally, the day came when they decided it was time for them to go. It hurt Dean just to get the words out when he told Addy; even though he told her he and Sam planned on staying for five more days so she could get used to the idea, she had cried and clung to him for a long time, afraid to let him go. Eventually though, she seemed to understand that they couldn't stay forever.

"You know Uncle Sammy and I fight bad guys," Dean told her gently as he wiped her tears away. "Well, there's always people we need to save just like you. So that's why we have to go so we can do our job. But we'll be back whenever we can and visit as many times as possible."

"Promise?" Addy sniffed.

"I promise," Dean told her and kissed her forehead.

"But what if I get scared, or have another nightmare?" she fretted.

"You can always call us," Dean told her. "Anytime. I'll always pick up if it's at all possible."

This seemed to put her at ease a bit, even if she was still sad. She wrapped her arms around Dean's neck. "Okay. Can we have another tea party?"

"Of course, princess," Dean told her with a chuckle. The things he did for this little girl…

He and Sam spent as much of their time as possible with Addy in their last few days, letting her sleep over with them a couple times. They had even suffered through three more tea parties cramped at the tiny table.

The last day before they were planning on leaving, Dean and Sam took her out for ice cream and sat in the park to eat it, Addy cuddled on the bench between her uncles.

"I don't want you to go," she said with a deep sigh after a while.

"We don't want to have to go either," Sam told her fondly. "But like Dean said, we have a job to do, and we'll come back to see you again as soon as possible."

"I just don't want to be scared without you," she said in a small voice.

Dean set his ice cream aside, and turned Addy toward him. "I've actually got a present for you before we leave, Addy. It might help a little. Would you like to see it?"

She nodded and he reached under his collar and brought out the small gold locket. He unclasped it, ignoring Sam's questioning look as he placed it into Addy's hand.

"This was your mom's, I bet you saw her wear it a lot?"

Addy nodded vigorously, clutching the small heart tight in her hand. "Yes, Mommy wore this all the time!"

Dean smiled. "Well, now you can have it with you to remind you of her, and check this out. I put some new pictures in there." He popped the clasp and opened the locket to show Addy two tiny pictures in the two sides. One was of Melissa and the other was of Sam and Dean. Sam smiled as he saw it, finally understanding why his brother had been so secretive of late. He cast a glance at Dean who looked both uncomfortable and pleased with himself at the same time.

"I love it!" Addy told him, closing the locket and pressing it to her chest. She threw her arms around Dean's neck and hugged him tightly then did the same to Sam.

"Can you put it on?" she asked, holding the locket out to Dean. He put it around her neck and she looked down at the gold resting on her chest.

"Now I'll always have you and Mommy with me," she said happily.

"That's right, kiddo," Dean told her fondly, stroking the hair from her face. "Now why don't we go back to your daddy?"

Addy hopped up and skipped over to where the Impala was parked. Sam lagged back with Dean, smiling at him and nudging his ribs with an elbow. "That was a really thoughtful thing to do, Dean. You are so totally going soft."

"Don't make me hit you in front of Addy," Dean hissed at him half-heartedly. "I thought it would help. I just hope she'll be okay."

"She'll be fine, Dean," Sam said firmly. "She is a Winchester after all, isn't she?"

Dean smirked. "Yeah, she is." He climbed into the car and they drove back to Addy's house.

They were planning on having dinner with Addy and Aidan that night, ordering pizza. Then they would say their goodbyes so they could be off first thing in the morning.

They lagged late into the night, none of them wanting to leave, but finally, Dean realized Addy was starting to nod off in his lap, even though she was trying so hard not to. He shook her slightly and she popped back up. He smiled fondly at her.

"I think it's about time for me and Uncle Sammy to go, Addy," he told her gently.

She instantly clung to him as he stood up and held her tight. "Now listen, Addy, you can't make this too hard. You don't want Uncle Sammy to cry, do you?" She shook her head, and Dean smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "Remember, you can always call us, and we'll be back to see you soon."

"I just wished you didn't have to leave," she said into his neck. "I know you have to, but it's not fair."

"I know, sweetheart," Dean told her. "But that's the way things are. And we'll always be there if you need us. Now go say goodbye to Uncle Sammy." He reluctantly handed her over to his brother who Addy clung to as if she would never let go. Dean saw Sam fighting back tears as he tried to smile at the little girl in his arms.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Addy," he said, and was not quite successful in hiding the tear that slid down his cheek. Addy wiped it off carefully.

"Don't cry, Uncle Sammy," she told him and kissed his cheek. Sam couldn't speak so he just held the girl tightly and kissed her back before he set her on the floor.

"Hang on, sweetie, I want to take a picture of us together," Dean told her. "That way I can have a picture too." He handed his camera to Aidan who stepped back to take the shot of Sam and Dean crouched next to Addy all three smiling as brightly as they could.

"There you go," Aidan told him as Dean stood back up and took the camera, clasping Aidan's hand tightly as he did so.

"Thank you for looking after her," the elder Winchester said sincerely.

"I would never think differently," Aidan told him firmly. "I promise you that I will raise her well and keep her safe."

Dean nodded and then turned back to Addy again as Sam said goodbye to Aidan. He pulled her into his arms again and Addy wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I was glad to meet you, Uncle Dean," she whispered to him.

"Me too, sweetheart," he whispered back, just trying to fight back the emotion threatening to overflow. "Me too."

After several more hugs, it was time to leave before they never did. Addy waved to her uncles as they left the porch, the locket held tightly in her hand. Dean and Sam waved back to her before they turned one last time and went to the Impala.

Sam's face crumpled as soon as they turned and Dean put a steadying hand on his shoulder. When they got into the car, neither of them said a thing. Sam scrubbed at his eyes and Dean fought the painful lump in his throat until he finally blinked and two tears slid down his face. He didn't even wipe them off, for once in his life, not ashamed of them. He reached over to put a hand on the back of Sam's neck for a long moment, then put the keys in the ignition and pulled off down the road, away from the most precious thing he had ever known.

Maybe one of these days they would be lucky enough to not have to drive away.

Finally Sam sniffed and turned to Dean. "Where to?"

Dean shook his head. "Wherever the road takes us tonight."

He flipped on the radio to a rock station and turned it up, hoping for a long road ahead that night, to help dull the pain of what he left behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Also take the time to check out the other stories by AnastaziaDanielle and I, she's started a really awesome AU with Sam and Dean as half brothers and if you're in the Christmas spirit, I will be posting a one shot in my 'A Thing or Two about Being Human" series with a Team Free Will Christmas tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed this!<strong>


	16. Epilogue

**Well, here is the final part of the story. Thanks so much to everyone who has read and commented on this fic, AnastaziaDanielle and I always love to hear from you. :) On another note, keep an eye on this story, because we'll be uploading some one-shots to go along with it after the story is over for more fluff with Sam and Dean and Addy :)**

**This chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle and LadyWallace**

*****Disclaimer: "Guess How Much I Love You" was written by Sam McBratney.**

Epilogue

Dean flopped back onto the bed closest to the door with a defeated sigh. It had been a long, tiring hunt. His body was protesting the frantic chase through the woods to catch the black dog, but finally it had been ganked. He shifted uncomfortably when something poked him in the back.

Reaching beneath him, he tugged out a bag filled with books for Addy. He and Sam had picked them out at the bookstore yesterday afternoon before the hunt had become their main focus.

It had been a week since they'd left their sweet Addy behind with her daddy in Colorado. The days had dragged by, and the nights were even worse. Dean found himself tossing and turning in bed as he worried over Addy having a nightmare or being kidnapped by some unknown vampire.

Dean scrubbed a hand over his face and turned his head to survey his brother. Sam lay motionless on the opposite bed with one arm thrown over his eyes to block out the light. Dean knew his little brother had also struggled with sleeping ever since they had said goodbye to Addy. The little girl had wormed her way deep into their hearts.

Addy had called them every night since the brothers had left Colorado. She had cried the first few nights she had talked to them. Sam and Dean had both considered turning the car around and heading straight back to their niece that they loved like a daughter. Last night was the first time she hadn't cried before hanging up the phone; she had sounded a bit weepy, but had not sobbed.

Dean glanced at his watch. Addy would be calling soon; it was almost her bedtime. Aidan let her call them once she had taken her bath and was ready for bed. He looked for his phone, but realized it was lying on the bedside table just as it began to ring. Both brothers lunged for the phone at the same time.

Sam beat him to it, and Dean gave him a dirty look. The youngest Winchester snatched up the cellphone and tapped the screen to answer the call. "Hey, Princess," he smiled as he spoke to his little niece.

"Hi, Uncle Sammy!" Addy chirped happily. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too," Sam replied. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yes, me and Daddy went to the park. He pushed me on the swings and I went down the BIG slide." Addy's voice got louder as she described the size of the slide.

Sam chuckled. "You're a brave girl," he commented.

"Daddy said I'm brave like you and Uncle Dean," she informed him. "And then we played tag like I told him me and Mommy used to do. I wish you could have played tag with us. Then you could have turned into the tickle monster." Addy growled the last two words.

Sam laughed outright at the little girl this time. "The next time Uncle Dean and I come to Colorado we will take you to the park and the tickle monster can make a visit."

Addy giggled into the phone. "Uncle Sammy, you're silly!"

"Hey, it's my turn now," Dean demanded, holding out his hand for the phone.

"Uncle Dean, Uncle Dean!" Addy nearly screeched into the phone.

Sam held it away from his ear and passed it to his brother.

"Hey, Ads," Dean grinned as he spoke to his most favorite girl in the world.

"Hi, Uncle Dean. I miss you," Addy informed him with a slight pout to her voice. "I want you and Uncle Sammy to come back to Colorado."

"I miss you, too," Dean told her, "and we will be back to visit as soon as we can."

"Tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"No, not tomorrow, Addy," he told her sadly. He gazed down at the bed and his eyes landed on the bag of books beside him. "Uncle Sammy and I bought you some books. We are going to mail them at the post office tomorrow."

"I'm gonna get mail, Daddy!" Addy squealed to her father whom Dean assumed was sitting near his daughter. "I wish you could read the books to me, Uncle Dean. You read Bad Kitty the bestest of anybody." She yawned as her voice trailed off.

"How about I read you one of the new books now as a bedtime story?" Dean offered.

"Okay," Addy yawned again. "Daddy, Uncle Dean's gonna read me a bedtime story." There was a lot of shuffling noises over the phone and then Addy spoke again. "Hang on, Uncle Dean. Daddy's tucking me in so I'll be ready for the story."

Dean smiled and rifled through the bag looking for the special book he'd picked out and hidden from Sam in the store. He would read her this one since his brother seemed to be engrossed in something on the laptop across the room.

"'Kay, Uncle Dean, I'm ready," Addy murmured sleepily into the phone. "Daddy put it on speaker phone so I don't have to hold it."

Dean imagined Addy cuddled up beneath the new sheets and blankets they had picked out for her with her doll held tightly in her arms. A smile curved his lips. His niece was getting the life she deserved, the life he and Sam would never be able to give her.

He opened the book in his lap and began reading. "Guess How Much I Love You," he read.

Addy was quiet on the other end of the line as Dean read about Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare.

Adian's voice broke in as Dean neared the end of the book. "Dean, she's asleep," he murmured softly. "Fell asleep with a smile on her face. You have the magic touch with her."

Dean sighed. "But she's doing good with you, right? She's happy?"

"I think so," Aidan answered truthfully, "and as long as her favorite uncles come for visits every now and then, I'm sure she will be just fine."

"Thanks for everything, Aidan," Dean told the little girl's father honestly. "We enjoy her calls every night."

Aidan chuckled quietly. "She won't go to sleep until she's spoken with the two of you."

Dean smiled and said goodnight before hanging up the phone and glancing over at the other bed where Sam smirked at him over the screen of the laptop.

"Admit it, Dean, Addy's made you go soft. I wondered what book you were hiding from me yesterday, and now I know why you were hiding it." A grin curved Sam's lips.

"Bite me, bitch," Dean sneered at his brother.

"Jerk!" was Sam's reply as he turned back to his laptop.

The rest of the night passed in relative quiet with both Winchester brothers knowing their little girl was safe with her father and they would see her again soon.

* * *

><p><em>John Winchester entered the graveyard and crossed between the stones and plots. It was rare he visited a graveyard during the day, and even rarer he visited one as a normal person did, and not with grave digging and salt and burning in mind. But it was something he had to do.<em>

_ He had gotten Dean's messages all too late. About his daughter, Melissa, about his granddaughter, Addy Grace. He would never forgive himself for what happened to Melissa. First her kidnapping all those years ago, which had never faded in his memory, and now her death which was again his fault. To know he had been so close to finding her…he had realized she had been looking into him, and had been planning on making contact when his job with the vamps had finished, but of course, that had never happened, and he had failed to kill the entire nest, and foolishly lost his cell phone, giving the vamp his contacts. When he had recovered it again, it was too late. Melissa was dead and he was knee deep in another job and unable to come when Dean called him._

_ But he was here now. Not that it mattered. It didn't mean a damn thing, and he knew that. He was, bottom line, a terrible father, but he could visit a grave, and he hoped to one day meet his granddaughter, when things were safer, when everything was over. Maybe Addy wouldn't have to grow up like the boys did, maybe she could actually have a good life, if they all just stayed away long enough to let it happen. It was too late for Dean and Sammy and Melissa now, but maybe not for Addy._

_ He found the grave finally, with a simple gravestone, engraved "_Melissa Winchester, loving mother, daughter and sister"_. John stayed still for a moment before he slowly knelt and pressed the palm of his hand into the grass over the top of the grave._

_ "I'm so sorry, Melissa," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."_

_ He felt a cool breeze caress his face and shivered slightly. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small photo of him and Mary who was holding a baby Melissa. He stared at it for a long time before he propped it against the gravestone and stood. With one last long look, he turned and started back through the graveyard. Back to the hunt. Without finding the demon that killed Mary, there would be no peace, and he had begun to realize more than ever how much he wanted that peace. If he was doomed to be unable to protect his family, then he could at least avenge them._

_ But it was back to the hunt now, as it always was and maybe this time there would be an end and he could have peace once again. _

_ John looked back once more before exiting the graveyard, saying a silent farewell to Melissa. Yes, he would make sure there would be peace again for the sake of his family, or he would die trying._

_ He would be heading to Arizona next, picking up a case there while he waited for more signs of the demon. Maybe after that, he could find the boys. He got back to his truck and started it up, preparing for the long drive ahead. _

The End


	17. A Day At the Beauty Parlor

**Here is the first of our additional one-shots! This one was one AnastaziaDanielle came up with and I rolled reading it the first time so I hope you all love it! Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! **

A Day at the Beauty Parlor

(By AnastaziaDanielle)

Sam surveyed their feverish niece carefully. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were still glassy with fever. She had slept most of the day cuddled on the couch with Dean, but it was time for more medicine. Gently, Sam squeezed Addy's shoulder. "Wake up, Princess. It's time for your medicine."

Addy wrinkled her nose and turned her face against Dean. "Don't wanna. It's yucky."

Dean chuckled. "You'll start feeling better faster if you take your medicine," he explained. "Besides, I need to get up if I'm going to go pick up something for us to eat. Do you want some soup?"

Addy considered this for a moment. "Can you get me chicken noodle soup? That's what Mommy always made when I was sick. She said it helped the germs go away."

Dean ran a hand over the child's mussed blonde hair. "I think I can manage chicken noodle soup." He shifted out from beneath Addy and shrugged into his jacket before grabbing the car keys. "I'll be back soon, Sam."

Sam nodded and bit back a sigh as his brother shut the front door behind him. He was left with the hard job of getting Addy to take her medicine. He lifted his niece onto his hip, her lavender unicorn pajamas wrinkling up between them.

"Uncle Sammy, I don't want medicine," Addy whined. "It tastes nasty."

"I'll give you some crackers to eat afterwards," Sam promised. "They will help the bad taste go away."

Addy didn't look convinced. "But it will still taste gross," she countered. "Will you play with me after I take it?" she whimpered pitifully as her arms drifted around Sam's neck and her fingers tangled in his longish brown hair.

Sam hesitated a moment. "You need to be resting, not up and running around. Your daddy would be upset if he knew I let you play while you were sick." Aidan had called them in a panic yesterday. He was being sent out of town for training for his job, and Addy had come down with the flu. Luckily, the Winchester brothers were seven hours away and had been able to drive to Colorado to care for their niece before Aidan's flight left early this morning.

"We can play beauty parlor on the couch," Addy countered in her scratchy, rough voice. "I'll sit still; I promise." She blinked her sad, glassy eyes at him, and Sam found he couldn't refuse the just-turned-five-year-old.

"All right, but you have to take your medicine first," he sighed.

She nodded and stifled a cough into her elbow. "I will," she sniffled as her hands found their way back into his hair.

In the kitchen, Sam placed Addy on the counter and poured the sticky red medicine into a tiny cup before putting some goldfish crackers on a napkin. "Here you go, Addy."

The little girl swallowed hard and looked at the cup of medicine. She coughed into her elbow again. "It's gonna taste bad."

"Hold your nose while you drink it, and then you won't taste it. Then hurry up and pop your crackers in your mouth," Sam explained.

Addy looked unsure, but plugged her nose shut with one hand and picked up the cup with the other. "Then beauty parlor, Uncle Sammy?" she asked with a squeaky voice since she couldn't breathe through her nose.

He grinned. "Yes, then beauty parlor. You'll have to teach me how to play. I've never played beauty parlor before."

Addy sucked in a deep breath and downed the medicine in one gulp. Quickly, she scooped the goldfish crackers into her mouth. "Ew, ew, ew!" she grumbled afterwards. "I don't like that medicine!"

"I don't think anyone likes to take medicine," Sam told her as he lifted her down from the counter and reached for her hand. "Let's go get what we need to play and get you settled back on the couch." Addy allowed him to lead her out of the kitchen and down the hall toward her bedroom.

Sam watched as his niece pulled a rectangular Rubbermaid container with a handle from the bottom shelf of the bookcase in her room. "Okay, Uncle Sammy. We can go back to the couch now."

Sam trailed Addy to the living room where she crawled up onto the couch and sat cross-legged with the plastic box beside her. She coughed into her elbow, sniffled, and then sneezed. Sam grabbed the blanket Addy had been wrapped up in earlier and tucked it around her shoulders before he sat down next to her. "So, tell me how to play beauty parlor."

She pulled the lid off of her box and rummaged around until she found a pink brush and some pony tail holders. "First, you have to do my hair," she smiled sweetly.

Sam took the items from her hands with trepidation. Dean had always done Addy's hair, never him. He could braid, but that was the extent of his talent. "Um, okay; turn around."

Addy coughed before turning her back to him. Sam's heart ached for a moment as he studied the blonde tresses. Addy's hair looked just like his mother's in the pictures he'd seen of Mary. It was also very much like Melissa's. Swallowing hard, he tentatively reached out and drew the brush through the silky blonde strands. Carefully, and gaining more confidence, he worked through the tangles until Addy's hair shone like spun gold. "There," he announced. "All done."

The little girl shook her head. "No, Uncle Sammy. You have to put it in a ponytail."

Sam bit back a sigh and eyed the little girl's hair warily. "Addy, I don't know how."

"Just try, Uncle Sammy. Daddy always says you never know what you can do until you try."

Sam didn't see a way to argue with that logic, so he gathered Addy's hair into his fist and tried to remember how Dean had made her ponytails. His tongue poked out of his mouth as he frowned at the hair before him in concentration. Finally, he leaned back and surveyed his work.

The ponytail was a little bit lopsided and a tad bit too loose, but it would do. "There, all done," he told Addy with relief.

The little girl turned and gave him a smile before tugging a small mirror out of her box. She examined her reflection in it for a moment before she patted Sam's hand. "Nice job, Uncle Sammy. Now it's my turn."

Sam frowned at her in confusion. "Your turn for what?" he asked.

"To do your hair," she explained as she picked up the pink brush.

"But I already brushed my hair this morning," Sam protested feebly, his mind unable to come up with another excuse as he eyed the way his niece was brandishing the pink brush.

Addy sniffled and then coughed into her elbow. "But you promised you'd play beauty parlor with me if I took my medicine," she whined, "and I let you do my hair. We have to take turns."

Sam bit back a sigh and turned his back to his niece. "You can brush it, but you have to stop as soon as you hear Uncle Dean pull into the driveway. Deal?" He would never live it down if his brother caught him playing beauty parlor.

"Deal," Addy wheezed as she rose to her knees behind Sam and tugged the brush through his brown hair.

Sam winced as the plastic brush caught on a tangle. Addy didn't seem to notice. She just pulled harder. Sam managed not to grunt in pain as he felt like he was being scalped. He heard Addy put the brush down and then begin rummaging in the plastic box. "Are you all done?" he asked.

"Not yet," she answered sweetly in a sing-song voice.

Sam sighed. He felt tiny fingers begin to work in his hair and was surprised to discover that it actually felt pretty good, almost like his head was being massaged. He closed his eyes and relaxed under Addy's touch until he felt her pulling at the top of his head. "What are you doing, Princess?" he asked suspiciously, realizing too late that he should have checked to be sure the beauty parlor box did not contain scissors.

"I'm making your ponytail, Uncle Sammy," Addy explained as if he should have known that already.

Sam's eyes widened in horror as he heard the rumble of the Impala's engine in the driveway. "Ponytail?" His lifted his hands to feel his hair, but Addy swatted them away.

"No, Uncle Sammy, you'll mess it up before Uncle Dean gets to see it. He's gonna love it!" she enthused.

Sam groaned inwardly. "Let's take it down and you can put it back in later." His fingers closed around the rubber band in his hair.

"No!" Addy wailed. "Is it ugly? Did I do a bad job?" she sniffled as tears welled in her eyes.

Sam's heart clenched at the sight. "No, Addy, you did a great job," he placated just as he heard the front door open.

"What the he-heck?" Dean sputtered. "Sam, you look like Pebbles from the Flintstones!" He began to laugh until he was nearly doubled over, the hand not clutching the bag of food wrapped around his belly.

Sam scowled darkly at his brother.

Addy looked between both of her uncles in confusion. "Uncle Dean, what's so funny?" she asked. "Me and Uncle Sammy are playing beauty parlor. I did his hair." She began to rummage in her box again. "It's your turn next." She picked up a small tattered notebook and ran her finger down the page as if searching for something. "Uncle Dean Winchester," she chirped. "See you have a 'ppointment in my book."

Dean looked like a deer caught in the headlights when Addy fixed him with a pleading gaze. Sam stifled a snicker. Dean glared at him and held up the bag he carried, clearing his throat. "No beauty parlor for you, little miss, until you have eaten your soup and taken some medicine."

Addy looked like she wanted to protest, but Dean gave her a stern look. She turned to Sam. "Uncle Sammy, you can't take your hair down. We haven't finished playing yet. Promise?"

Sam looked like he wanted to choke. "Promise," he ground out as he tossed a glare at his older brother.

Dean chuckled at him. "You look beautiful, Samantha."

"Bite me," Sam growled.

Addy looked satisfied when he didn't remove the ponytail and managed to eat a half a bowl of soup before Dean plied her with the yucky cough medicine. Once again she plugged her nose and ate goldfish crackers.

"Now it's your turn, Uncle Dean," she coughed as she tugged his big hand with her tiny one.

Dean reluctantly sat down on the couch and ran a hand over his hair. "I don't have as much hair as Uncle Sammy. There's not enough to put in a ponytail, but you can brush it."

"Nope, I'm not doin' your hair, Uncle Dean," Addy explained as she once again rummaged through her box.

Dean frowned and a furrow formed between his eyes. "Oh? And what else do you do at the beauty parlor?"

Addy held out a bottle filled with pink polish. "You get your fingernails painted, silly!" she told him with a roll of her eyes.

Dean jerked back in shock. "What? No way!"

Addy's lower lip protruded and she coughed pitifully. "But Uncle Sammy let me do his hair."

"That's different. No respectable man lets someone paint his fingernails pink," Dean pointed out. "Sorry, Ads."

Addy sniffled again. She was tired and she didn't feel well. Her eyes filled with tears. "You think I'll mess them up," she wailed.

"What? No, Addy, it's not that," Dean backpedaled quickly as Sam did nothing to control the smirk that played over his lips.

Tears continued to roll down the little girl's cheeks. She held the bottle of nail polish in her hands and stared morosely at Dean.

He sighed deeply and cast a glance at his brother. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you."

Sam raised his eyebrows and pointed to his hair. "Hey, I look like freakin' Pebbles. Think I'm gonna tell a soul?" he queried.

Dean winced as Addy smeared the first splash of pink nail polish over his thumbnail. Not only did she paint the fingernail, but the skin around it. Dean hoped Aidan kept some nail polish remover around the house or Sam was going to be making a run to the local store. He glanced at his niece to see her tongue poking out of her mouth in concentration. She reminded him a lot of a much younger Sam at that moment.

He glanced up at his brother. "You used to do that."

"Do what?" Sam asked, knowing darn well that he had never painted his fingernails.

"Stick your tongue out like that when you were concentrating," Dean explained. He winced when Addy left a smear of polish on the back of his finger. "Be careful with that stuff, Addy," he warned.

"You're gonna look beautiful, Uncle Dean!" she promised him as she moved to his other hand.

Dean looked at his hand in horror. The freshly painted pink nails glared glowingly back at him. He shuddered.

"There, all done!" Addy announced. "You both look beautiful!" The little girl beamed with pride.

Dean and Sam looked at one another and exchanged a silent vow. "Word of this never leaves this room," Dean growled at his younger brother.

"Agreed," Sam answered vehemently.

"Can I paint your toenails, Uncle Dean?" Addy asked hopefully.

Dean groaned loudly in response as he heard Sam's stifled laughter.

The End


	18. Home For the Holidays

**This is a bit late, I know, but I didn't get it done in time for Christmas, so I hope you enjoy it for New Year's Instead :) I thought you would all like to see the boys spending Christmas with Addy. And thanks very much to AnastaziaDanielle for helping me come up with gifts. I'm terrible at it. Hope you all enjoy, and have a great New Year! We've still got a few more one-shots planned that will be up soon so keep an eye out! :)**

Home For the Holidays

A Supernatural Fanfic

(by LadyWallace)

_The boys go back to their girl for Christmas and end up receiving a surprise visitor._

Dean cursed the traffic they were stuck in, keeping them away from their girl for longer and longer as they continued at a slow crawl. He couldn't believe people still weren't where they were supposed to be three days before Christmas.

"Calm down, Dean," Sam tried to soothe him, even though he was just as anxious to see their niece, Addy Grace, as Dean was. This was their first Christmas since learning of her existence and they had promised to come and visit her and her father Aidan for the holidays. Dean was especially anxious, because they had already been delayed several days due to an unexpected job that had popped up involving a poltergeist that could not be ignored, and then, Sam had sprained his wrist during the altercation with the spirit and couldn't take his turn driving, thus making Dean have to deal with the pre-Christmas traffic.

Thankfully, they were only twenty miles out of Denver now, but they had been on the road all day, and were exhausted. The only thing keeping Dean going was the thought of seeing Addy again. They hadn't seen her since the fall before she started school, and hadn't been able to make it for Thanksgiving due to bad timing, so they had made a particular effort to make it for Christmas.

Dean sighed and finally saw the traffic moving more up ahead, and eased the Impala out of the crawl she had been stuck in for the past hour. "That's better," Dean muttered.

Sam hid a smirk and peeked behind him to see the large bag full of red and green wrapped gifts. He and Dean had had a good time going shopping for Addy, spoiling her as usual because that was what uncles were for. They had stayed up late last night in their motel room wrapping them. Sam would forever treasure the image of his tough older brother concentrating hard on wrapping Barbie dolls in sparkly Christmas paper. That would not be forgotten anytime soon, and would likely come around to use as leverage on more than one occasion.

About forty-five minutes later, they pulled up in front of Aidan's house and had barely stepped out of the car before Addy burst out the door and flung herself at her uncles, tackling Sam so hard he fell back into the car.

"Uncle Dean! Uncle Sammy!" she shrieked with excitement, turning from Sam only because Dean came up to her and he bent over and picked her up, spinning her around until she giggled and he grinned as well, the weariness he had felt from the long drive melting away.

"How's my girl?" Dean asked her as she wrapped her arms around his neck before squirming out of his grasp and grabbing both his and Sam's hands, hauling them toward the house.

"I'm good, I made cookies for you! Come see the tree Daddy and I decorated!" Addy babbled at once.

"Woah there, kiddo," Dean told her with a chuckle. "Let me and Uncle Sammy get our stuff out of the car. There might be something for you too in there."

She hopped up and down in excitement as Sam opened the back seat and grabbed the bag of gifts. Addy squealed in excitement and grabbed Sam's hand again, and this time they were unable to resist going inside.

Aidan met them at the door with a grin on his face. He gave the brothers a manly embrace in greeting and showed them into the living room. "Why don't you sit down? Addy's been watching for you all day. Let your uncles get settled, Addy."

"It's all right," Sam assured him. "We're just happy to be here finally."

"Come see the tree!" Addy pleaded, hauling on their hands.

"All right, Ads, we're coming," Dean told her with a grin. "You can help us put these presents under there."

Addy pulled them into the living room where the Christmas tree was set up in one corner, liberally decorated with colored balls and strings of lights and even a few handmade ornaments that Addy had likely done is school. A lopsided clay snowman particularly caught Dean's attention and made him smile, remembering a similar one Sammy had brought home from kindergarten many years ago.

"This is a beautiful tree, Addy," Sam told her as he picked her up and settled her on his hip.

"Yeah, I love the ornaments you made," Dean told her. He set the bag of presents he had been carrying on the ground and crouched down. "Come see what Uncle Sammy and I brought you, Ads. You can rattle them while we get our bags inside."

Addy eagerly started pulling the wrapped gifts from the bag and shaking them happily as Sam and Dean quickly retrieved their bags and headed toward the guest room. Dean swiftly threw his bag on the one bed, leaving Sam with the air mattress.

"Dean," Sam whined, making a face, knowing his long legs would be half on the floor.

Dean just grinned without remorse. "Perks of being the oldest, Sammy."

Aidan came in. "If you need anything, let me know. Sorry about the air mattress. I can always pick up a cot if you need."

"We'll be fine, we've slept much worse," Dean assured him and he and Sam went back out to sit around the Christmas tree with Addy, rattling the presents with her. Dean thought they might have gone a little overboard with the gifts when he realized they filled the space under the tree, but shrugged it off. They had missed four Christmases with their niece, and this made up for it. Besides, he had earned the money fair and square; he should put it toward spoiling his little girl.

"I never had so many presents ever!" Addy exclaimed throwing her arms around Dean's neck and squeezing him tight. "I wish Mommy could be here with us."

"I know, sweetie," Dean told her and kissed her cheek. "But Uncle Sammy and I will be here to keep you company."

He fought back his own emotions that always welled up whenever he thought of his big sister. He wished more than anything that she could be there with them.

Addy reached to her neck and pulled the locket from under her sweater and showed it to Dean. "I'm still wearing Mommy's locket. I look at it every night before I go to bed and kiss you and Mommy goodnight."

Dean hugged her closer, again fighting his emotions. "That's sweet, Addy."

Aiden came in and saved his emotions more torment by announcing that the pizza had been delivered.

"I'm sure you two are hungry being on the road so long," he said as the boys and Addy got off the floor.

"Starving," Dean told him with a grin, rubbing his stomach. "We drove straight here to get to Addy as soon as possible."

They all crowded around the table to eat, Addy talking so much that she almost didn't get a mouthful at all until Uncle Dean told her to eat and she ate dutifully. Sam cast a glance at his older brother who smirked as if to say 'still got it'.

That night Addy was allowed to stay up late with her uncles and drink hot chocolate and toast marshmallows over the fireplace in the living room. Finally, though, she was drifting off against Dean's side and he scooped her up and carried the sleepy little girl into her room.

"All right, then, princess, it's time for bed. We can have more fun tomorrow. Then it's only one more day until Christmas."

Addy smiled as Dean tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. "Uncle Dean, can you read to me?" she asked sleepily.

"Sure, Addy, what do you want me to read?"

Addy picked a book and Dean settled next to her on the bed as he read, only halfway through the book before Addy drifted off. He watched her sleep for a few minutes, reluctant to get up. It hadn't even been a year since Addy had been a part of his and Sam's life, but leaving her had been the hardest thing he had ever done, even though he knew she was safe and would be happy. But still, seeing her again was the best sort of medicine to fix any problem.

He finally got up and said good night to Aiden before he and Sam took turns taking a shower and then went to their room, exhausted after their long drive and ready to get a good night sleep. Even Sam slept well on his air mattress, too tired to care.

The next day they were woken early as Addy came barging into their room and jumping on them to wake them up.

"Come on, Uncle Dean, Uncle Sammy. We're gonna have pancakes for breakfast! I know how to make them!"

Dean sat up blearily, trying to clear the sleep from his face as he chuckled. "Okay, Ads, we'll be there in a minute, let me get dressed."

She hopped on the air mattress and nearly caused Sam to roll off of it, making her fall on top of him. She giggled as she saw his feet peeking over the end.

"Uncle Sammy, you're too tall for the bed, your feet are falling off!"

Dean laughed at his brother's groan as he got up to grab his clothes. "Yeah, Addy, did you know your uncle was a sasquatch?"

"What's a sas-scotch?" Addy asked with confusion.

"It's a tickle monster!" Sam growled playfully as he tackled a shrieking Addy onto the mattress and proceeded to tickle her. Dean stepped over them on his way to the bathroom, unable to help a grin. He was always so glad that Addy could loosen his little brother up so well. Few things could manage that anymore.

A fresh layer of snow had fallen in the night, and after breakfast, Aiden told the brothers that there was a park nearby the house with a hill they could take Addy to slid down on her sled. He had to go to work to finish up some last minute things before he got the next couple days off, but he handed Dean an extra key to the house and said he had called Karen Beechman to see if she wanted to bring Sarah as well.

"Sounds good," Dean said as he watched Addy hop in excitement. "It will be nice to see Karen and Sarah again."

After Aiden left for work, Sam helped Addy into her snow gear while Dean gathered the sled and an inner tube he found in the garage and packed them into the Impala's trunk. He was just finishing when Addy and Sam came out to join him, the little girl wearing a pink snowsuit and purple mittens.

"I'm ready, Uncle Dean!" she cried as she opened the back door of the car. "I really missed the 'Pala, she's funner to ride in than Daddy's car!"

Dean grinned at his brother who rolled his eyes before he bent to make sure Addy had gotten buckled. "That's cause she's the best car in the world, right?"

"Right!" Addy exclaimed as Dean went to the driver's seat and turned on the heater as Sam got in.

Fifteen minutes later, they made it to the park, and found Karen and Sarah already waiting there. They waved as the Impala pulled up and then came to greet them as they got out.

"Sam, Dean!" Karen called and gave them both a hug. "It's good to see you again. I'm glad you were able to make it; Addy has been so excited to see her uncles again."

"It's good to see you too, Karen," Dean told her with a grin. "Hope everything's been okay. Come on, Addy, let's get your sled out."

He carried the sled to the hill as Addy hauled the inner tube herself.

"Go on, then Addy! You and Sarah race to the bottom," Dean told her with a grin as he settled the sled for her.

"Okay, give me a push, Uncle Dean!" Addy told him and he obliged, sending her to the bottom of the hill, listening to her happy shriek all the way down.

When her and Sarah pulled their sleds back up, Addy grabbed Dean's hand. "Slide with me, Uncle Dean!"

"Okay," Dean said and got on the sled behind Addy, hoping he didn't fall off and crush her. Sam laughed as they spilled at the bottom, Dean falling face first in the snow. Addy pulled his head up, giggling.

"Silly Uncle Dean! You look like a snow man!"

They played for a long time until Addy and Sarah's cheeks were bright red from the cold and fingers started to get frozen, then they decided it was time for lunch and met at a restaurant nearby and had lunch with hot chocolate. Afterward, they left Karen and Sarah to head back to the house.

"I hope you boys are staying out of trouble," Karen told the Winchesters.

"Oh you know," Dean replied with a grin. "It finds us."

She shook her head slightly but smiled. "Well, I'm glad you could make it for Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful holiday with Addy."

"I'm sure we will," Dean assured her.

That night, Aiden made chili for supper and while Sam helped Addy set the table, a knock came at the door.

"You expecting anyone?" Dean asked as he saw Aiden frown at the sound.

"Not that I know of," the man said, wiping his hands on a towel and heading to the door before Dean stopped him, instinctively pulling a dagger from the back of his belt.

"I'll check it out."

Aiden eyed the weapon warily. "Don't stab any of my neighbors, okay?"

"Just being on a safe side," Dean assured him as he hid the dagger behind him and went to the door.

Whatever Dean had been expecting to find, human or otherwise, it was as far from what he did find as anything could be. He just stood there, slack jawed, for several long seconds, staring at the man standing in the doorway.

"Dad?" he finally got out, swallowing hard.

John smiled a bit sadly. "Hello, Dean."

Dean couldn't believe it; he didn't know what to say, or what to feel. Aidan turned the corner, likely making sure he hadn't done an innocent any harm under false pretenses.

"Dean?" Aidan asked, Sam following him with Addy in tow. "Who is it?"

The younger Winchester had much the same reaction as Dean, unable to believe who was standing at the door.

"Dad?" he choked out.

Aidan looked at him sharply and held Addy back as she tried to see the visitor. Dean decided they needed to settle this now and that it was not going to happen in the house.

"Sam," he called quietly before he pushed his father none-too-gently out the door and closed it behind them. Three Winchesters stared at each other like springs tightly coiled.

"Is this the kind of greeting you give your father, boy?" John asked Dean, trying to keep his voice light, but there was anger in his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dean demanded. "Why are you showing up here, now?"

"If it makes any difference to you, Dean, I wanted to see my granddaughter," John told him, a growl in his voice.

"We called you and you never answered," Dean told him, his voice shaking with emotion. "You didn't come when Melissa died, _on your account_ when we needed you. You weren't there when _she_ needed you, and you think you have the right to come here now and just show up out of the blue?"

John's eyes flashed in anger. "Don't talk to me like that, boy, I know I failed Melissa," his voice broke, and he had to pause to gather himself. "Trust me, Dean, I know how bad I screwed up, I _know._ I didn't get your messages until it was too late, and by then you and Sam had already left." He sighed deeply. "Now, I just want to see my granddaughter for the holidays; I wanted to see my sons. Can I not do that, Dean? Am I not allowed?"

"I don't know, I'm still thinking about it," Dean bit out.

"Dean," Sam began, but then stopped himself at a look from his brother.

John sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Dean, is that what you want to hear? I know it doesn't do any good now, but for what it's worth…I just want to spend Christmas with you, and if you really don't want me, I'll leave, but I just want to meet Addy Grace first. I deserve that much, don't you think?" His voice was rough, and Dean instantly lost all his anger. He knew his father hadn't meant for any of this to happen, obviously. And he should at least try for Addy's sake. He had just been surprised, and all the pent up anger he had felt before had come crashing back on him, but he had to take pity on his dad too. After all, if nothing else, it was the holiday season.

"Yeah, you do," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, dad, I just…everything that happened with Mel, Addy—how she was when Sam and I got to her." He closed his eyes to try and block out the memories that refused to leave him.

John stepped forward and settled a hand on Dean's shoulder before he pulled him into an embrace that Dean returned readily. "It's good to see you again, Dean, Sammy." He pulled Sam into a hug as well after he released Dean.

"All right, then," Dean said, clearing his throat. "How would you like to meet your granddaughter?"

They went back inside the house where Aidan was waiting with an anxious Addy. She eyed John warily as he came in behind the boys, and went to grab Dean's leg as he smiled down at her and bent to pick her up. He tried to force aside all his inner issues with his father, so Addy wouldn't think John was a bad guy, knowing how well the little girl could read him and Sam.

"Hey Addy, I want you to meet someone. This is me and Uncle Sammy's dad." He turned so she could see John who smiled at her. "He's your grandpa, and he's a lot less grumpy than he looks."

Addy gave him a small smile and waved shyly.

"Hello, Addy Grace," John said, nearly overcome with emotions as he saw the beautiful little girl who looked just like the one he had lost, just like Melissa. Just like his Mary.

"Why don't you give him a hug, Addy, he doesn't bite," Sam told her and Dean set her down on the floor as John crouched to meet the little girl who hugged him tentatively after casting a trusting glance at her uncles. John held the little girl for a few moments before letting her go to run back to Dean. John stood shakily.

"She's beautiful," he said to no one in particular.

Dean gave him a proud look and gathered Addy into his arms again. Aidan cleared his throat from the doorway, looking a bit awkward among the reunion of Winchesters.

Sam stepped forward and motioned to Aidan. "Dad, this is Aidan Richards, Addy's father."

John shook the other man's hand firmly. "I apologize for barging in like I did. But I found I couldn't wait any longer to see my…my daughter's child." He faltered, the words sounding foreign on his lips.

Aidan nodded. "You're welcome any time. I only wish that Mel could have met you. I didn't know Addy existed myself until after Mel's death. Sam and Dean took really good care of her those first few weeks, and taught me a thing or two when I was clueless."

Dean shrugged off the praise as John looked at him appraisingly, as if he were seeing someone he hadn't known was there before. "She certainly seems to have taken to you two boys," he said with a smile.

"They're my favorite uncles," Addy piped up from where she was leaning against Dean's leg. "They took me to the park and slid down the hill and sometimes we have tea parties."

Sam and Dean fumbled as John couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the sight of their embarrassment. "Is that so? You really have those boys wrapped around your finger."

Addy giggled and nodded. "One time I even painted—"

"Okay, kiddo, I think it's time for supper," Dean intervened quickly. He would never live it down if his dad caught wind of the 'beauty parlor' incident.

"You'll stay for dinner, I hope?" Aidan asked John.

The hunter shrugged. "I won't say no, as long as I'm not intruding."

"And you're free to stay here while you're in town, John," Aidan added. "If you don't mind sleeping on the couch."

"Again, as long as I'm not intruding," John said as he sat down at the table where Addy had set another place. She sat across from the older hunter, staring at him for a long time.

"Are you gonna stay for Christmas?" she asked him after a while.

"Hopefully," John told her.

"We have a tree, and I decorated it except for the high parts. And Uncle Dean and Uncle Sammy brought me lots of presents to put under it. I got them presents too, super special ones. Maybe you can have a tea party with us, but you can't take all the cookies like Uncle Dean does, that's rude."

"Maybe you should just make more cookies, squirt," Dean told her, coming back with a plate for Addy. "And I never took all the cookies, just two or three."

John was fascinated by this child, and even more by his sons' interactions with her. He regretted the fact he had missed many chunks of Sam and Dean's childhood, but what he had seen of it, had been a caring older brother and a devoted younger one, but he had never really seen the potential Dean had as a father until now. And even Sammy seemed great with the kid. They would both make a better father than he ever was, and the thought made him sad, thinking that they might never have a life like that and it was truly his fault. He wondered what would have happened if Aidan hadn't been found or hadn't been interested in caring for his daughter. Would Sam and Dean have taken it upon themselves to raise her? It was something John had never thought of before until now.

They ate, Dean continuously casting glances at his father, feeling strange seeing him in such a domestic family setting, smiling at his granddaughter. John had rarely shown up for Christmas when he and Sam were kids, even when he promised. He had done what he could for Sammy, but most of their Christmases had fallen flat, and it wasn't the best of memories for him. That was why he was so determined to make this year a good one. For Addy. He just wasn't sure how he felt about his dad showing up now after everything. He couldn't just shove away the resentment he felt when John had not called him back when he needed him most. But then, it was Christmas time. Time to forgive and forget, right?

After dinner they watched a Christmas special on TV with some hot cocoa, and Addy fell asleep in Sam's lap. The younger Winchester smiled as he carried her off to bed, and Aidan followed to help tuck her in, leaving Dean and John alone. John turned to his eldest son.

"Dean, I know we aren't on the best of terms right now, and I know I should have called, but…"

"No, Dad," Dean said, holding up a hand to stop him. John looked slightly irritated at being interrupted, but Dean continued. "Look, we've all done stupid stuff, we all make mistakes, but there's no going back and fixing it now, so I'm going to forget it, because it's Christmas, and I don't want to ruin it for Addy. And I want to be a family again, that's all."

John studied Dean with another bemused look. "You've changed, Dean."

Dean shrugged. "We all change, Dad. I just hope it's for the better."

"I think it is, son," John told him. "Whatever that girl did, it looks like she fixed a whole slew of problems in you boys. Mellowed you out, and sweetened you. That's what daughters do." John's gaze shifted far away, and his voice wavered. Dean quickly grinned, changing the subject to avoid any unwanted emotional moments.

"You're a grandpa now," he teased. "You old man, you."

John swatted the back of his head with a chuckle. "You watch your tongue, boy."

Dean ducked away, still grinning as Sam came back with some bedding.

"Aidan gave me these for you, Dad," he said, handing them to John. Dean got up and stretched.

"I think we'll turn in, Dad," he said. "It's Christmas Eve tomorrow, and you should be ready for Addy to wake up early."

John nodded and bade his sons goodnight. Sam and Dean went to their room and dressed for bed.

"So, no huge fight with Dad yet?" Sam asked.

Dean shook his head as he pulled on a t-shirt to sleep in. "No, Sam. Not this time."

"Good," Sam said before he smiled. "You really should be ready for Addy to wake us up early though."

Dean laughed as he slid into the bed. "Yeah, I know. I guess we're making cookies for Santa tomorrow."

Sam laughed and slumped onto the air mattress. "Yep. Just as long as we don't have to play beauty parlor."

"Do not even mention it," Dean growled. "I don't want to think about it anymore."

He drifted off to sleep as Sam chuckled.

The next morning, he woke to his alarm and turned over with a groan to see Sam still sleeping on the floor. He sat up and checked the time, seeing it was nine o'clock. He frowned, wondering why Addy hadn't woken them up yet. She had been up at the crack of dawn since they'd been there.

He left Sam sleeping and slipped out of the room, hearing Addy giggling, and padded into the living room where he found the strangest thing he had ever seen. John Winchester was sitting on the couch with Addy pressed against his side, reading her a book.

"Well, isn't that just adorable, Grandpa," Dean smirked as John looked up, giving him a longsuffering look. Addy leapt up and ran to Dean.

"Uncle Dean, Grandpa is reading me all my favorite books," she pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear, though still loud enough for John to hear, to Dean's amusement. "But he doesn't do the voices as good as you."

Dean chuckled and picked her up. "Hmm, well, I guess we'll have to teach him. How about we make some pancakes for breakfast, and then later today we can start on those cookies for Santa. What kind are we making?"

"Gingerbread men!" Addy exclaimed.

"Okay then," Dean said, sitting Addy down on the counter as he pulled all the ingredients he would need for pancakes out of the cupboard. He was just finishing them up when Sam came in, still half asleep and sat at the table. Addy brought him a cup of coffee, which made him smile.

"Thanks, Addy."

After their pancakes, they took Addy to the store to pick up ingredients for the cookies and spent most of the afternoon making them.

"Santa will love these," Addy told them as she decorated one with white icing and colored sugar. "I want to write a note for him; can you help me, Uncle Sammy?"

"Sure, kiddo," Sam said and after they cleaned up, he sat down with Addy and helped her write a note to Santa. "Don't forget to put it with the cookies tonight!"

John mostly stood back and watched the proceedings with a warmth in his heart that hadn't been there since, well, since Mary had died. In truth, he had dreaded coming to see Addy Grace, wondering if it would open old wounds, but it hadn't been painful as he feared, it had been wonderful. He could easily see how this beautiful child had so won over his sons, he had fallen under her spell too.

"Come on, Dad, help decorate cookies!" Dean told him with a smirk.

"I'd rather watch," John protested.

"Help up, Grandpa!" Addy insisted and John found himself unable to resist.

"Well, all right, I guess I'll do a couple."

Dean and Sam smirked at each other. Their dad was totally in the same boat as they were with Addy.

That night, they had a happy dinner, with much laughing, and John actually told Addy several stories about when Sam and Dean were little that embarrassed them, but seeing Addy laugh softened the blow a bit.

They played several games with Addy after dinner, until Aidan told her it was time to get ready for bed.

"You want Santa to come, right?" he told her with a grin. "But he won't if you aren't in bed!"

"Okay!" Addy exclaimed. "But I need to leave the cookies and my note first!"

She made up a tray of cookies, milk, and carrots. "For the reindeers," she told Dean who chuckled. Then she set them by the fireplace and hugged everyone goodnight.

"Uncle Dean will you tuck me in?" she asked.

"Sure, Princess," Dean told her and took her to her room. "You have to fall asleep, okay? Santa knows when you're awake!"

"I will, I will!" she cried as Dean tickled her. "Can we get up early?"

"Of course, you come wake Uncle Sammy and me up," Dean told her, wondering what he was subjecting them to.

Addy sobered. "I wish Mommy was here."

Dean sat on the side of her bed and stroked her hair back from her face. "I know, sweetie, so do I. But I know she would be happy you're happy, and your daddy, and Uncle Sam and me, and Grandpa are really happy to have you with us for Christmas."

"You are?" Addy asked.

Dean nodded and bent to kiss her forehead. "You're the best Christmas present ever."

Addy giggled at that. "I wasn't wrapped up, Uncle Dean!"

"Well, I guess I need to fix that, then," Dean told her with a grin and wrapped her in the blankets tightly as she giggled and tried to struggle away. Finally, he stood up and said good night.

"Okay, play time is over, there will be plenty of that tomorrow, now you need to sleep!"

"Okay!" Addy promised and instantly closed her eyes and settled against the pillows.

Dean closed the door behind him and went to rejoin his family and Aidan. They sat up for a little while, drinking eggnog and talking before Dean decided it was time to get some sleep because Addy would likely have them up at the crack of dawn the next day.

"Come on, Sammy, gotta go to sleep or Santa won't come," he told him brother with a smirk.

Sam gave him a longsuffering look and shook his head. "If you really want me to sleep, you'll let me have the bed tonight."

"Not a chance, little brother," Dean told him and ran off to their room with Sam in tow. John watched fondly. He had missed his boys, and the fact they still acted the same as they had when they were kids amused him. He had only been off the hunt for a few days and he was already going soft. The worst part was that it just didn't seem to bother him anymore.

Dean fell asleep relatively quickly and it only seemed he was asleep for a few minutes before he felt small hands gripping his shoulder and shaking him awake.

"Uncle Dean, wake up, it's Christmas!" Addy's voice hissed excitedly.

Dean forced himself awake and glanced at the clock to see it was not even six yet. "Already?"

Addy giggled. "Yes, Uncle Dean! Come on! Let's go see what Santa brought!" She ran to wake Sam as well and then flew across the hall to wake up Aidan while Dean and Sam hauled themselves out of bed.

John, who had been sleeping on the couch had already woken when Addy first got up and decided to make coffee. The men were very thankful for this fact as Addy rushed around the house in excitement, ending up in front of the Christmas tree where presents had been stacked.

"Santa ate my cookies, Uncle Dean!" she cried as Dean came in and she threw herself at his legs, looking up at him. "I'm so excited!"

Dean grinned. "Me too, Princess, but let Uncle Dean get some coffee first, okay? I'm not awake yet."

With a bit of caffeine in them, the adults were starting to become lucid and Aidan finally told Addy she could open her stocking, as she was too excited to sit still.

By the time she was done with that, they were mostly awake and Dean went to find a couple of the presents he and Sam and brought for her.

"Here you go Addy, here's some from me and Uncle Sammy."

Addy opened them eagerly and found a couple new books and a set of Playdough.

"Thank you, Uncle Dean and Uncle Sammy!" she exclaimed and hugged them both.

The Winchesters watched happily as Addy opened her presents, exclaiming over all of them. The room was full of paper and bows and new gifts. Finally Aidan smiled and leaned over to his daughter.

"Addy, why don't you give your uncles some of the presents you got them?"

"Okay!" Addy said and went over to the tree, pulling several packages out from underneath of it. She put a couple in the brothers' laps.

"I wonder what this is?" Dean said with a grin, as he unwrapped the first present, finding a Led Zeppelin t-shirt inside. "Hey, this is awesome, Addy, thank you!" he told her and hugged her before opening the other one.

"That one's for Baby," Addy informed him. "I picked it out myself."

Sam rolled his eyes as Dean grinned, touched that Addy had even remembered his beloved Impala. He unwrapped the small package to find a gift card to Pep Boys.

"Thank you, Addy, Baby will love this," he assured her with a grin.

Sam opened his gift next and found it was a collection of Jules Verne stories.

"Thank you, Addy! I haven't read these in years," he told her with a smile, giving her a hug.

Addy handed them the last gift then. "This is for both of you. It was Daddy's idea."

Dean let Sam open it and they found a scrapbook inside, a picture of them and Addy on the front of it. Dean smiled and bent over his brother to see as he flipped the first page. That one contained several pictures Aidan had taken of them and Addy the last time they had been there.

"This is amazing, Addy," Sam told her as she cuddled onto Dean's lap to look at it with them.

The next page had a handprint Christmas tree and wreath. "I made those at school," she told them happily.

"Good job," Dean told her, smiling at the crooked gluing that reminded him so much of Sam's kindergarten work. Some of which he still had, even though he would _never_ let his brother know that.

Addy turned the page for them and revealed several pictures that she had drawn, she pointed to the first one. "This is me and you and Baby," she said.

Dean smothered a laugh as he saw the rendition: Addy in pigtails and a pink dress standing between mostly stick figures of Sam and Dean, Sam being extremely tall, almost taking up the whole page, and a square, black car for the Impala.

"Good work, Addy, these are amazing," Sam said with a smile that faded slightly as Addy showed them the next one.

"And this one is you and Daddy playing tea party with me."

This one showed them all sitting around the tiny play table in Addy's room, even though it looked bigger in the picture. The Winchester brothers noticed their father trying not to laugh. Dean shot him a glance of warning.

Addy turned the page and John finally lost it, seeing the next picture. She looked up at him with a frown.

"What's so funny, Grandpa?" she asked.

"Nothing, Addy," he tried.

Sam and Dean would have taken more thought to the fact it had been a long time since their dad had laughed if they had not been captivated by the picture, their faces burning.

"This is you and me playing beauty parlor," Addy informed them, as if they didn't already know, pointing out the different parts of the picture. "This is your hairdo, Uncle Sammy, and I'm painting Uncle Dean's fingernails pink, remember?"

"I don't think we'll likely forget that, kiddo," Dean told her truthfully, sharing a glance with Sam that said they would never show this to another person as long as they lived. Aidan gave them a pitying smile as John continued to laugh.

Addy turned the page to a blank one. "There's more pages so you can add more pictures and things I send you," Addy told them.

"This is awesome, Addy," Dean told her as he closed the scrapbook and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much."

Addy slid from his lap and went to get something else, coming back with a piece of paper that she gave to John, surprising him.

"I drew this picture for you, Grandpa," she told him. "It's all of us together at Christmas."

John smiled at the picture and pulled Addy into a hug. "Thank you, Addy. I was really glad to get to come and meet you."

Dean and Sam watched their dad, usually so gruff, soften just looking at the little girl. They knew exactly how that was. It was impossible not to do so around Addy. If she could even make John Winchester go soft then the rest of them didn't even have a chance.

"Why don't you open the rest of your presents, Addy?" Dean told her with a smile. "I can still see a couple hiding under the tree."

It was the best Christmas the Winchesters had ever had. Dean and Sam sat on the floor and inspected all the gifts Addy had gotten, helping her open packages, and eventually, she had fallen asleep among the papers and Dean picked her up and held her on his lap as he sighed contentedly. Sam watched him with a smile, happy that they could have some moments of peace with everything that had been happening of late in their lives. A little normalcy, and Addy was the only one who could provide that for them.

"Merry Christmas, Sammy," Dean told him with a smile.

"Merry Christmas, Dean," his brother replied softly.

"Merry Christmas, boys," John added fondly as he watched them.

Dean closed his eyes, thinking a nap was a good idea, not having a care in the world at the moment. This was definitely the best Christmas he had ever had.

The End


	19. Visiting Hours

**Here's another adorable one-shot that AnastaziaDanielle wrote, I hope you all like it! Thanks as always for your amazing reviews :) We've got a few more one-shot ideas too, which will be up eventually, once we finish our other stories we've been working on. In the meantime, check out our other stories if you want :D**

Visiting Hours

(by AnastaziaDanielle)

Addy burst through the front door of the house with her blonde hair flying loose behind her. She'd been waiting for her uncles to arrive since waking up that morning. "Uncle Dean! Uncle Sammy!" she cried as she ran toward the black Impala.

Sam winced as he heard her shout, knowing that her first question would be about Dean. When he and his brother had discovered their latest hunt would lead them to Raleigh, they had called ahead to see if they could spend time with their niece. Her father had readily agreed and every time they had spoken to Addy over the phone she'd been counting down the days.

Now Dean was lying in a hospital recovering from internal injuries he'd received taking down the angry spirit. He was sore, groggy, and grouchy, especially since the doctor had announced he had to spend the next two nights under observation in the hospital.

Sam opened the car door and unfolded his long body, grinning as Addy skidded to a stop at the curb. "Hey, Addy!" he greeted. "I think you've grown another two inches since I last saw you."

"Hi, Uncle Sammy!" she squealed, bouncing up and down until her tall uncle swept her up into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too," he told her as he brushed her hair gently back from her face.

Addy squirmed to get down and leaned against the passenger door, peering into the car. "Where's Uncle Dean?" she asked in confusion as she leaned back to look up into Sam's face. "He promised he was coming to see me."

Sam nodded as Addy's father approached. Aidan Richards already knew that Dean was in the hospital, but had thought it was better that Sam tell Addy. "Well, kiddo, Uncle Dean has to spend a few nights in the hospital." He knelt in front of the five-year-old and took her small hands in his much larger ones.

Addy's eyes grew wide and her face noticeably paled. "Is he sick?" she whimpered.

Sam squeezed her hands gently. "Uncle Dean was hurt while we were chasing the bad guys. The doctor just wants him to spend a few nights in the hospital so he can make sure he's healing up properly."

Addy sniffled as tears welled in her eyes. Her voice quavered when she spoke. "When my friend Annabel's grandma went to the hospital she died." She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I don't want Uncle Dean to die."

"Oh, princess," Sam sighed as he gathered her close in a hug. Addy buried her face against his neck and sobbed. Sam ran a hand over her blonde hair and pushed her back so he could look into her face. "Uncle Dean is not going to die, Addy."

"Are you sure?" she sniffled, her voice catching in a half-sob.

"I'm sure," Sam smiled. "He's too stubborn to die and besides, he wants to see his favorite niece."

Addy threw herself forward once again and buried herself in Sam's arms. He stood and settled the little girl on his hip. "Nice to see you, Aidan," he finally spoke to his niece's father. The men shook hands fondly.

"Addy has been waiting for you all day," Aidan explained. "She didn't want to leave the door to eat her lunch."

Sam laughed. "I've been anxious to see her too," he admitted. "In fact," he spoke to Addy, "Uncle Dean and I went shopping and picked out some things just for you for when you start kindergarten."

Addy's eyes widened. "I start school in two weeks. Daddy said so."

Sam grinned. "I know. He told us, so we got you some school clothes." He reached through the open window of the Impala and pulled out a large plastic bag.

"Come on inside," Aidan invited with a warm smile. "I'll fix some coffee."

"Sounds great," Sam enthused as he held Addy in one arm and the bag of clothes on the other.

Once inside, Sam settled himself on the living room couch. Addy immediately clambered up beside him while Aidan went into the kitchen to make some coffee.

"Why don't you look in the bag and see what we got you?" Sam asked. A grin curved his lips when he realized that Addy hadn't been able to take her eyes off the shopping bag.

The little girl grinned at him and then reached into the bag. She pulled out a pale blue hoodie with a rainbow-colored glittery butterfly across the front. "It sparkles!" she squealed.

Sam laughed. "Uncle Dean picked that out for you."

Addy hugged it to her chest and looked into the bag once more. There was a violet colored hoodie with a unicorn on the front from Uncle Sam along with two pairs of jeans, some new shirts, and a dress. "Thank you!" Addy crowed as she perused her new clothes. "I wanna wear my new dress on my first day of kindergarten."

Aidan appeared in the doorway with two mugs of coffee in his hands. "And I will take a picture of you in it to send to your uncles."

"We'd really appreciate that," Sam told him honestly.

Addy hugged the blue sweatshirt from Dean and leaned back against the sofa. Her eyes took on a distant look and a frown tugged down at the corners of her mouth.

"What is it, princess?" Sam asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

The little girl sighed. "Uncle Sammy, are you sure Uncle Dean isn't gonna die? I still miss Mommy. I don't want Uncle Dean to die, too. I'd miss him too much." Tears welled in her eyes once again.

Sam suddenly realized that with the trauma this child had been through the only way she would believe that Dean was okay was to see him for herself. He looked up at Aidan who seemed to read the question in his eyes. Addy's father nodded his permission.

Sam gathered Addy in his lap. "Addy, would you like to go to the hospital with me to see Uncle Dean?" he asked her gently.

She gnawed her bottom lip before she nodded. "I want to go and see Uncle Dean."

Sam brushed her hair back from her face. "Remember, he got hurt by the bad guy, so he's got some cuts and other boo-boos on his face. He's really sore, so he has to stay in bed. I don't want you to be scared when you see him. His boo-boos might look bad, but they are going to get better. I promise."

Addy nodded. "Can we go see him now?" She bounced up and down in Sam's lap causing her uncle to wince.

Once again Sam glanced at Aidan who nodded in response. "Yes," Sam told her. "Go brush your hair. You don't want to scare Uncle Dean with your hair looking like a rat's nest."

Addy laughed and scrambled from his lap to run to her bedroom.

"She needs to see him for herself," Sam thought out loud.

"I think that will help," Aidan agreed. "Otherwise, I doubt she'll sleep tonight. Her nightmares have been pretty bad lately."

Sam frowned. "I wish there was some way to help her."

"She's been visiting a therapist once every two weeks," Aidan explained. "That seems to be helping a little bit."

Addy appeared in the doorway wearing her new hoodie from Dean with the tags still attached. "I'm ready!" Her hair had been brushed and she clutched her doll, the one Sam and Dean had bought her, tightly beneath one arm. "I want Uncle Dean to see me wearing my hoodie."

Sam laughed. "You might get a bit hot in that thing," he warned her as he used his pocket knife to cut off the tags. "We won't stay at the hospital too long," he informed Aidan.

"Take your time," the other man assured him. "I had planned to work in the yard this afternoon."

Sam nodded. "Then if Dean is feeling up to it we'll stay a while."

Addy placed her small hand in his. "Ready, Uncle Sammy? I bet Uncle Dean is lonely."

Sam laughed. "I bet he is, kiddo. It's hard for him to know how close you are and not be able to see you."

"We can surprise him," she grinned.

Addy clutched Sam's hand all the way to the Impala and clambered into the backseat with a happy sigh. "I miss your car," she informed him with a smile. "Daddy's truck just isn't the same."

Sam chuckled. "You'll have to make sure you tell Uncle Dean. He will completely agree with you."

"Can we get him a get well present?" Addy asked hopefully as she buckled her seatbelt.

Sam climbed into the driver's seat and shut the door. "What kind of present were you thinking of?" he asked as he glanced into the rearview mirror so he could see Addy's face. He smiled as he saw her forehead creased in thought. Her pensive expression reminded him so much of his brother.

"Um, I think we should get him a pie," she finally announced as Sam started the car and the Impala's engine rumbled to life.

The youngest Winchester brother laughed out loud. "A whole pie?" he asked.

"Yup!" Addy chirped. "Then maybe you and me can each have a piece."

Sam laughed again. "What if we buy Uncle Dean a piece of pie and then I take you out for a treat when we leave the hospital?"

Addy thought a moment. "Can we get pieces of pie, too, so we can have our treat with Uncle Dean?" she asked hopefully.

Sam grinned. "I think we can manage that."

After a quick stop at a local store to pick up Dean's get well gift, Sam pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and found a place for the Impala under a small shade tree.

"Hurry, Uncle Sammy!" Addy crowed from the backseat. "I wanna see Uncle Dean. I bet he misses me."

"You're right about that," Sam said softly as he helped his niece from the backseat.

Addy still wore her hoodie although it was now unzipped. Her doll was clutched under her arm as she held Sam's hand and skipped beside him across the parking lot. The bag containing the pie was held tightly in Sam's other hand.

"Addy, you have to be quiet in the hospital, okay? There are lots of people inside that don't feel well, and they are trying to rest." Sam squeezed her hand gently to make sure she was listening.

"'Kay," she replied as she bounced next to him. "Can I give Uncle Dean a hug when I see him?"

Sam stopped on the sidewalk and knelt beside his niece. "He's pretty sore right now, kiddo. Maybe if I lift you up you can give him a kiss on the cheek."

Addy's lower lip shot out in a pout, but she nodded and walked more soberly next to Sam as they entered the hospital.

It didn't take long to ride the elevator up to the third floor where Dean's room was located. Addy clutched Sam's hand tightly. The hospital smelled funny and lots of people were in wheelchairs. She suddenly remembered that Annabel's grandma had died in a hospital and a quivery feeling emerged in the pit of her stomach.

Sam seemed to sense her trepidation. He looked down and gave her a warm smile. "Uncle Dean is going to be so happy you're here. You know you're his best girl."

Addy nodded and held her doll tighter.

Sam stopped outside his brother's door. He kept Addy out of sight and poked his head around the doorframe. "Knock, knock!" he called out happily.

Dean, looking pale and tired in his hospital bed, turned his head toward the door and growled, "Bite me."

Sam sighed at his brother's foul mood. "You have company, some cute little blonde I picked up on my way here."

Dean eyed his brother hopefully.

A little blonde head peered around the doorway and then a grin blossomed on the small girl's face. "Uncle Dean!" she nearly shouted.

Sam smothered a smile as Dean's face broke out in a wide grin. "Hey, Ads!" Dean called out as his niece skidded to a stop beside his bed. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too!" she declared. "Uncle Sammy said you might be too sore for me to give you a hug. He said he'd pick me up so I can give you a kiss." She looked up expectantly at Sam.

Sam put down the bag he was carrying and lifted her gently so that she could reach her uncle. Addy cupped Dean's face in her small hands and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead.

"I feel much better already," Dean smiled as he tipped his head forward so that his forehead rested against Addy's.

She giggled and pulled back, squirming to be put down. "We got you a present, Uncle Dean."

Dean's smile widened as Addy skipped to the bag that Sam had placed in a nearby chair. She rummaged around inside and produced a clear, triangular plastic container. Turning around, she held it out to her uncle. "Pie!" he enthused as he accepted the gift. "Addy, you're the best!"

"Me and Uncle Sammy are gonna have some with you; it was my idea." She dug around in the bag and came up with three forks.

Dean protectively held his slice of pie against his chest. There wasn't much to go around if all three of them were going to eat it.

"We have our own pieces, silly," Addy laughed when she saw him clutching his pie.

Sam snorted. "You're such a pig."

"Never tease a man about his pie, Sammy," Dean quipped as he gratefully accepted the fork from Addy.

"Can I sit by you while I have my pie, Uncle Dean?" she asked hopefully.

"If you sit still," Dean cautioned.

"I will; I promise." Addy nodded solemnly.

Sam lifted her and settled her carefully on the bed next to Dean. Addy held her pie in her lap and sent her beloved uncle a happy smile. "I'm glad I got to see you. Now I know you're not gonna die like Annabel's grandma."

Dean looked startled and sent a questioning look toward his brother.

"Addy's friend's grandmother died when she went into the hospital," Sam explained as he and Dean exchanged meaningful looks.

Dean put his pie down into his lap without even taking a bite. He reached over and tipped Addy's chin so that she looked up at him. "I'm going to be okay, kiddo. I'll be out of here tomorrow, and then me and Uncle Sammy are going to take you to do something fun."

Addy sighed happily and leaned carefully against his side. "I miss you, Uncle Dean. You too, Uncle Sammy. I even miss the Impala!" she added for good measure.

Dean had to laugh at that, but then winced when it made his wounds ache painfully.

"We're only a phone call away if you ever need us, Princess," Sam assured her as he opened the container holding his pie.

Dean finished off his slice with a satisfied sigh. "Man, that was good." He reached toward Addy. "Are you going to eat all of that?"

She giggled and swatted at his hand. "This is mine! You can have Uncle Sammy's."

"Hey!" Sam sputtered as Dean laughed out loud, holding a hand over his belly when his wounds pained him.

"Looks like I'm training her well, Sam," Dean smiled as he leaned back against the pillows and relished the warmth of his niece nestled snuggly beside him. They saw her all too rarely these days and she was growing up fast.

"Jerk," Sam smiled fondly.

Dean caught himself before he said "the B word" in front of Addy. Instead, he stifled a yawn and pressed a kiss to the crown of Addy's blonde hair.

Addy finished her pie and curled up next to him on her side. "I'm tired, Uncle Dean."

"Then close your eyes, kiddo. I'm a bit tired myself. We'll take a short nap and wake up feeling as good as new." Dean closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillow.

"Can I stay and take a nap with Uncle Dean?" Addy asked Sam imploringly.

"Sure, Princess. I'm just going to sit over here and finish up my pie so Dean doesn't get it." Sam winked at her and Addy giggled.

Dean opened one eye and glared at his brother.

"G'night, Uncle Dean. I love you." Addy turned on her side so that her face was pressed against Dean's arm.

"I love you, too, Ads," Dean replied softly around the lump in his throat. His sister's little girl never ceased to amaze him. He and Sam would just have to make more trips to Colorado; Addy was growing up way too fast. Dean found himself lulled to sleep by the rhythmic breathing of Addy sleeping soundly by his side.

The End


	20. Doctor in the House

**Here's another little fluffy one-shot that I came up with and wouldn't leave me alone. Hope you all enjoy! Thanks to AnastaziaDanielle for the idea of the princess band-aids ;) Also, if you like TeenChester stories, I started a new one "What Lies Beneath" so if you want to check it out, that would be awesome :D**

Doctor in the House

(Written by LadyWallace)

A Supernatural Fanfic

_Sam and Dean babysit Addy for a week while Aidan's away, only to catch the flu that Addy just got over. Thankfully they have a devoted niece to take care of them._

Nothing could ever work out right for the Winchesters; it was a fact that Dean had decided it was best to come to terms with after many years of trying to change his luck and failing. Somewhere along the line, there had to be a family curse, there was no other explanation.

It seemed even a short trip to Denver, Colorado to babysit their niece, Addy Grace, for a week while her father was out of town on a business trip proved too tantalizing for fate to miss an opportunity to mess with them. So within three days of their stay Sam and Dean both were floored by the flu.

The only good part of this whole situation was that Addy had already had it (though was apparently still contagious, against all odds) so she wasn't likely to get it again. And while the Winchester brothers had to drag themselves around the house, and look after each other, they at least didn't have to care for a sick little girl too. There had been one very memorable moment when Sam and Dean had both been sequestered in the bathroom, taking turns throwing up and supporting each other as they did so before dozing off the worst of the flu on the bathroom floor.

Addy did what she could for her uncles, very sympathetic as she had experienced all the symptoms only a couple weeks before. She brought them blankets and glasses of water when they had to camp out in the bathroom and made sure they had everything they needed.

Fortunately, after that bout, the vomiting at least seemed to be over with and Sam and Dean were able to retire to the bed in the guest room and the couch respectively and do their best to sleep off what was left while they kept one eye on Addy. She was a good girl though, and took care of herself, even making herself meals when the boys were too sick to move and Dean was proud of her. Sometimes she reminded him a lot of Sammy when he was a kid. Being resourceful was always a good thing, even if she didn't normally have to be; at least not in the same sense he and Sam did.

Addy, on her part, wanted to do everything to help her uncles feel better, and she decided that she was going to make sure they got the proper care they needed.

Dean slept roughly through the night, still suffering a fever, and woke with a groan to someone patting his shoulder. He cracked his eyes open to see Addy smiling at him.

"Hey, Ads," he mumbled, running a hand over his eyes that were aching from the fever. He frowned as he saw Addy dressed in a white coat, a small bag in her hands. "Wahcha doin'?"

"I'm your doctor, Mr. Uncle Dean, and I'm going to make you feel better," she told him firmly as she put her little doctor's bag on the coffee table and opened it, taking out a plastic stethoscope and putting it around her neck before grabbing something else. "First I'm going to take your temperature."

Dean was still half asleep as Addy stuck the plastic thermometer into his mouth. "Mmph," he said, surprised, but was too tired to argue. Besides, he and Sam hadn't been able to play with the kid much at all, and this was all he deserved.

Addy shook her head at him as she pulled the play thermometer back and looked at it. "This isn't good, Mr. Uncle Dean. You got a fever that's 250 degrees!"

"Is that bad, Doc?" he asked, trying to keep from cracking a smile.

"It means you need medicine," Addy said solemnly as she put the stethoscope in her ears and put the end against Dean's stomach, causing him to have to smother a grin as she listened, presumably to his 'heart', her little face scrunching up intently.

"Your heart sounds good," she told him, reaching into the bag again. "Now open your mouth and saw ahh!"

Dean did as he was told and tried not to wince as Addy stuck a popsicle stick into his mouth. She put on a grave face as she finished. "Your throat is red, Mr. Uncle Dean, you're going to have to have your tonsils taken out."

Dean affected a worried look. "Is it going to hurt?" he asked.

"Not if you take your medicine," Addy told him and reached into her bag again, pulling out several chocolate kisses and putting them into his hand. "Take one of these every day until you feel better then maybe you won't have to have your tonsils taken out."

Dean nodded. "Okay, Doc, I will do that."

She folded her arms over her chest. "Take your medicine."

Dean dutifully unwrapped one of the chocolates and ate it. Addy put her hand on his forehead.

"Is my fever gone?" Dean asked her.

"It will go away if you keep taking your medicine," Addy assured him, before going back to her bag. "Now I just need to give you some bandages. Hold still."

Dean watched with trepidation as she pulled out a box of pink princess band-aids and opened one, sticking it on his arm. She frowned. "No, wait," she said and ripped it off again, making Dean have to bite back a yelp as it took hair and likely skin with it, hurting worse for his fevered body. She stuck it back on closer to his shoulder and then took another one out and put it on his forehead, then finally one on the side of his temple, catching some of his eyebrow. "There, that should help." She then pulled a blanket up to his chin and tucked it in. "Now get some rest, Mr. Uncle Dean. It will make you feel better."

"Thank you, Doctor Addy," Dean told her with a smile. "Now, I have a sick brother too; can you go make sure he's doing okay? He might need some princess band-aids too."

Addy took a little book from her bag and pretended to look at it. "He's my next patient. I'll be back to make sure you have taken your medicine."

Dean grinned as he watched Addy take her doctor's kit and go to the bedroom where Sam was sleeping.

Sam woke groggily but forced a smile as he saw Addy crawling onto the bed beside him.

"Hey, Addy, what do you have there?" he asked tiredly.

"I'm Doctor Addy," she told him firmly, opening her bag. "You are next on my 'pointment list, Mr. Uncle Sammy, and it says that you are sick."

Sam nodded. "Yes, I am, are you going to make me feel better, Doctor Addy?"

Addy nodded and pretended to take his temperature as she had with Dean. "You have a very high fever, Mr. Uncle Sammy, a thousand degrees."

"Wow, that is high," Sam said with a small smile.

"You'll need medicine like Mr. Uncle Dean; he needs to have his tonsils taken out because his throat is red, but I need to see what else is wrong with you first." She patted his stomach. "How does your tummy feel?"

"Better than yesterday," Sam told her truthfully; his stomach muscles still protested every time he sat up from all the vomiting though.

Addy poked at him a few times as though to make sure and nodded, taking her stethoscope out and pretending to listen to his heart. She frowned and shook her head grimly.

"Mr. Uncle Sammy, you are very sick, I'm afraid you're going to need a shot."

Sam widened his eyes in mock horror. "Do I have to? I don't like shots."

She patted his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry it will only hurt a little bit and then you can have a treat if you're good."

"Okay," Sam gulped and fought not to smile as Addy reached into her bag and pulled out a play syringe and put it against his shoulder. Sam pretended to wince and Addy patted the spot with a smile.

"It's done, you can open you eyes," she told him and he did, only to see her opening a band-aid and sticking it to the spot she had given him the 'shot'.

"Now I need to bandage your head," Addy informed him and pulled out a roll of bandage, wrapping it clumsily several times around Sam's forehead. He reached up to push one side out of his eyes, his hair sticking up at all angles.

"Thank you, that feels better," he assured her.

"I'm not done yet," she told him firmly, reaching into her bag for another bandage. "I have to bandage your tummy so you won't throw up again."

"Okay," Sam said, propping himself on his elbows so she could wrap the bandage around his waist. Once she was done, she patted his shoulder and smiled.

"There, now you're all better. I just have to give you your medicine and you can go to sleep again."

Sam smiled. "Thank you, Doctor Addy." He received the chocolate kisses and dutifully ate one while Addy watched. Then she tucked his blankets around him and kissed his forehead before she slid off the bed with her doctor's bag.

"I'll be back tomorrow to make sure you're getting better," she told him.

"All right, Doctor," Sam told her with a grin and watched as she left the room.

Addy came back to the living room and set her doctor's bag on the table before turning to Dean. "Mr. Uncle Sammy is going to be okay. He just had to have a shot and some medicine."

"That's good to know," Dean told her with a smile. "Glad I didn't have to have a shot."

She scowled at him. "If you don't get better by tomorrow, I'll have to give you one."

Dean sobered and nodded solemnly. "Okay, I promise I'll get better."

"I think I can take your band-aids off now," Addy told him and before Dean could protest, she had ripped the one off his forehead. It was so stuck his eyes watered, but he forced a smile.

"Thank you, Doc."

Addy grinned then and climbed onto the couch next to Dean, cuddling up against his shoulder. "Want to watch a movie, Uncle Dean?" she asked.

"Sure, kiddo," Dean told her, running a hand through her hair before secretly touching the raw spot on his forehead and checking his fingers for blood.

Addy chose a movie and went back to sit next to Dean.

Later, Sam shuffled out of bed and slumped on the couch at Dean's feet, folding his long legs up and wrapped in a blanket. They lazed around that day as Addy continued to play nurse to them, and then they somehow all managed to fall asleep on the couch together, Addy sandwiched between her two uncles. And that was how Aidan found them when he got home early the next morning.

"Daddy!" Addy exclaimed, running to meet him.

"Hey, Addy, how's my girl?" Aidan grinned as he picked her up and hugged her tightly, looking past her to the two weary Winchesters. "Oh no, you guys didn't catch the flu did you? I'm so sorry."

Dean grinned weakly. "Nothing new. Besides we had a great doctor in the house. She looked after us."

Aidan smiled and kissed Addy on the head. "Well, I'm glad she wasn't too much trouble." He frowned, looking at Dean and touching the side of his own head. "You have something…"

"Yeah, I know," Dean replied, trying not to think of taking the band-aid off that was attached to his eyebrow.

Addy wiggled out of Aidan's arms and ran back to Sam and Dean. "You two need to take your medicine again," she told them firmly. "Or you won't get better."

"Okay, Doc," Dean told her as he and Sam ate their chocolate. They were feeling better already.


	21. Boyfriend Trouble

**Here's another adorable little oneshot that AnastaziaDanielle wrote. I hope you all enjoy it, and have a great weekend :)**

Boyfriend Trouble

(By AnastaziaDanielle)

"Uncle Dean! Uncle Sammy!" Addy darted out of the front door as the Impala pulled up to the curb in front of the house.

"Hey, Princess!" Sam greeted as he caught the little girl that threw herself at him. "Your daddy tells me that you are graduating tomorrow."

"From kindergarten!" Addy crowed proudly. "I get to wear a gown and a hat and everything!"

Sam tossed her into the air, laughing as she shrieked in delight. As soon as he settled her feet on the ground she turned and hurled herself at Dean as he stepped up onto the curb.

"Uncle Dean!" Her small arms wrapped around his neck as he scooped her up.

"How's my favorite girl?" the seasoned hunter asked as he tipped his forehead to rest against Addy's.

"Good!" she nearly shouted, making him wince. "I couldn't wait for you to get here." Addy squirmed to be put down. "Daddy made pasketti for dinner."

Aidan walked out of the front door and down the steps to greet the Winchester brothers. "I see the welcoming committee beat me to the door," he smiled.

Dean situated Addy on his hip. She had grown so much since he and Sammy had seen her a few months ago. He ran his free hand that wasn't holding her over her long blonde hair. "Good to see you, Aidan. Tell Addy here to stop growing up on us."

"I think she's grown another few inches," Sam lamented.

Aidan chuckled. "She's going to need a whole new summer wardrobe. I think she's going to be tall like her Uncle Sammy."

Addy's eyes widened. "I'll be that tall?" she gasped.

All three men laughed and Dean jiggled her on his hip. "You never know, kiddo. Now let's go dig into that spaghetti. I'm starved."

Dean carried Addy into the house and they were soon settled around the kitchen table as Aidan dished up the spaghetti.

"This smells great, Aidan," Sam announced. "We love any chance to have a home cooked meal."

"Addy begged me to make spaghetti for you guys. It's her favorite." Aidan placed a bowl of the pasta and meat sauce in front of his daughter.

"We had grad-iation practice today," Addy announced to her uncles as she twirled her spaghetti around her fork, her brows furrowed in concentration.

"Uncle Dean and I bought a camera so that we can take a lot of pictures at your graduation tomorrow," Sam assured her as he took a bite of spaghetti. "We can't wait to see you in your cap and gown."

Addy chewed her mouthful and swallowed before she spoke. "You can get a picture of me and my boyfriend."

Sam nearly choked on the spaghetti he was swallowing while Dean, who had just taken a mouthful of soda, spewed it across the table all over his brother.

Sam snatched up his napkin. "Dean, what the he-!" He caught himself before he finished the last word.

"Boyfriend?" Dean sputtered in shock. "You're six years old." He turned to Aidan. "She's six years old!"

"Dean, calm down," Sam placated as he wiped the soda off of his face.

"Sam, our niece is too young to have a boyfriend. Boys aren't even allowed to look at her until she's thirty." Dean thought of all the girls he'd been with over the years and paled. He didn't like the idea of any boy even looking at his niece.

Addy seemed to sense Dean's trepidation. She climbed down from her chair and ran around the table, attempting to climb into Dean's lap. He scooted his chair back from the table and lifted her up. Little hands immediately cupped his face. "Don't worry, Uncle Dean. Scott is just someone I play with at school. I'm still gonna marry you or Uncle Sammy one day."

A grin spread across Dean's face as Sam and Aidan chuckled softly.

"That's my girl," Dean laughed, tapping the tip of Addy's nose. "No boyfriends for you until you're at least thirty."

Addy giggled. "It's gonna be a long time before I'm that old like you, Uncle Dean." She missed the horrified look on his face as she slid down off of her uncle's lap and ran back to her own chair.

Sam smirked at his brother across the table while Dean just scowled back at him.

Addy picked up a spaghetti noodle that had fallen next to her plate and shoved it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "But will you still take a picture of me and my boyfriend tomorrow, Uncle Dean? Uncle Sammy can take one of me and you afterwards." She blinked her big eyes hopefully at him.

Dean knew once Addy gave him the puppy dog look that resembled the one Sammy had perfected years ago that he couldn't deny his niece anything. "You betcha, kiddo."

Addy grinned. "I love you, Uncle Dean."

"I love you, too," Dean vowed, suddenly finding it hard to swallow the mouthful of spaghetti he had just taken around the lump that had formed in this throat.

The End


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